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PERKINS  LIBRARY 

Uuke   University 


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Kare  Uooks 


A 

DISCOURSE, 

INTENDED    TO    COMMEMORATE    THE 

DISCOVERY    OF    AMERICA 

BY  Chrijiopher  Columbus  ; 

DELIVERED   AT   THE    REQUEST   OF    THE    HISTORICAL 
SOCIETY    IN    MASSACHUSETTS,    ON    THE    23d   DAY 
OF     OCTOBER,     1792,    BEING  THE     COMPLE- 
TION    OF    THE    THIRD    CENTURY    SINCE 
THAT    MEMORABLE    EVENT. 

TO    WHICH    ARE    ADDED, 

FOUR     DISSERTATIONS, 

Conn  filed  ivitb  various  farts  of  the  DifiourfCf  viz, 

I.  On  the  circumnavigation  of  Africa  by  the  ancients. 

%.  An  Examination  of  the  pretenfions  of  Martin  Bebaim  to 
a  difcovery  of  America  prior  to  that  of  Columbus,  with  a 
Chronological  detail  of  all  the  Difcoverics  made  in  the  15th 
Century. 

3.  On  the  queflion,  whether  the  Honey-bee  is  a  native  of  Amer- 

ica ? 

4.  On  the  colour  of  the  native  Americans  mAdit  recent  popula- 

tion of  this  Continent. 

BY  JEREMY  BELKNAP,  D.  D. 

Venient  annh 


Stculaferis,  ijitibus  Oceanus 
Vincula  rerum  laxet,  et  ingens 
Pateat  tellus,  Tiphyfque  nouos 
Detegat  orbes  ;  ncc  Jit  terrls 
Ultima  Thule." 

Seneca's  Medea,  -written  in  the  reign  oJ'HtKO , 


PRINTED   AT   THE   i^poUo  I3rCfe,    IN    BOSTON, 

BY    BELKNAP    AND    HALL, 

STATE  STREET,    mdccxcu. 


AT  a  Meeting  of  the  Hijlorical  Society  of 
Maffachufetts,  06lober  23d,  1792  ; 
Voted,  That  Dr.  Aaron  Dexter,  Rev.  Dr. 
Peter  Thacher,  and  William  Tudor,  Efq.  be 
a  Committee  to  wait  on  the  Rev.  Dr.  Jeremy 
Belknap,  and  in  the  name  of  the  Society,  to 
thank  him  for  the  Difcourfe  delivered  by  him 
this  day,  at  their  requeft,  upon  the  fubjefl  of 
the  Difcovery  of  America  hy  Columbus. 
Atteft,   G.  R.  MINOT, 

Recording  Secretary, 


C  I 


DiJlriSl  of  Maffachufetts,  to  wit : 

/  ^N  T>E  it  remembered,  That  on  the  twenty- 
y  L.S.J  J3  third  dayot  October,  in  the  feventeenth 
^ —  year  of  the  Independence  of  the  United 
States  of  America,  Jeremy  Belknap  of  the  faid 
diftricl,  hath  depofiied  in  this  office  the  titleof  a  book, 
the  right  whereof  he  claims  as  Author,  in  the  words 
following,  to  wit,  "  A  Difcourfe  intended  to  com- 
memorate the  Difcovery  of  America  by  Chrijlopher 
Coluvibus  ;  delivered  at  the  requeft  ot  the  Hiftorical 
Society,  in  Maflachufetts,  on  the  twenty-third  day  of 
October,  1792,  being  the  completion  of  the  third 
Century  fince  that  memorable  event.  To  which  are 
added  four  DiiTertations  connefted  with  various  parts 
of  the  Difcourfe,  viz. 
*'  1.     On    the  circumnavigation   of  Africa  by  the 

Ancients. 
"2.     An  examination  of  the  pretenfions  oi  Martin 
Eehai?n  to  a  difcovery  ot   America  prior  to  that 
of  Coluvibus,  with  a  Chronological   detail  of  all 
the  Difcoveries  made  in  the  13th  Century. 
*'  3.     On  the  queftion,  whether  the  Honey-bee  is  a 

native  of  America  ? 
"  4.     On  the  colour  of  the  native  Americans  and 
the  recent  population  of  this  Continent. 
"BY  JEREMY  BELKNAP,  d.  d." 
In  contormity  to  the  Aft  of  the  Congrefs  ot    the 
United  States,  intituled  "  An  Aft  for  the  encourage- 
ment of  learning,  by  fecuring  the  copies  of  Maps, 
Charts  and  Books  to   the  authors  and  proprietors  ot 
fuch  copies,  during  the  times  therein  mentioned." 

N.  GOODALE,  Clerk  of  the 
Dijlrid  of  Uajfachufetis,. 
A  true  copy  of  Record, 
Attefi,  N.  Good  ALE, 


A     DISCOURSE 


ON      THE 


DICOVERY  OF   AMERICA, 


W  E  are  met  together,  this  day,  my 
refpeftable  auditors,  to  commemorate  an  event; 
which,  whether  it  be  confidered  in  its  caufes, 
in  its  execution,  or  in  its  confequences,  muft 
be  acknowledged,  a  fplendid  inftance  of  the 
accomphflimcnt  of  that  remarkable  predic- 
tion of  the  prophet, 

Daniel,    Chap.  xii.  ver.  4. 
"  ManyJJiall  run  to  and  fro  and  knowledge Jliall 
he  increafed." 

Thefe  words  in  their  obvious  and  literal 
meaning  point  out  a  vafl  increafe  of  fcience, 
and  the  (ubferviency  of  travelling  to  this  im- 
portant purpofe.  The  time  to  which  they 
refer  cannot  be  precifely  defined  ;  but  it  mud 

be 


6  A  DISCOURSE  on  the 

be  confidered  as  remote  from  that  in  which 
they  were  delivered  ;  and,  it  is  evidently  con- 
nefted  with  the  appearance  of  that  glorious 
perfon  "  Michael  the  Prince,"  whofe  coming 
and  kingdom,  and  the  falvation  of  which  he 
is  the  author  are  foretold  in  the  fame  proph- 
ecy. 

A  thought  of  this  kind  would  not  readily 
have  occurred  to  the  mind  of  a  captive  Jew, 
had  he  not  been  under  the  influence  of  the 
prophetic  fpirit.  Tranfported  by  the  fortune 
of  war  into  the  dominions  of  a  foreign  Prince, 
as  was  Daniel,  his  higheft  expe£lation  would 
be  to  return  to  the  land  of  his  nativity  and 
lefume  his  former  employments  and  mode  of 
acquiring  knowledge ;  the  objedls  of  which 
were,  the  antiquities  of  the  world,  the  doc- 
trine of  the  divine  unity,  the  feries  of  prophe- 
cy, the  ritual  worfhip  and  the  fyftem  of  moral 
duty,  which  were  taught  in  the  facred  books. 
The  hope  of  fuch  a  return,  grounded  on  a 
divine  promife  was  one  fource  of  confolation 
to  the  Jews  in  their  captivity  ;  but  this  proph- 
et was  favoured  with  fuch  divine  communica- 
tions refpefting  the  future  fortunes  of  his  na- 
tion and  the  Hate  of  the  Church  of  God  un- 
der the  reign  of  the  MelTiah,  as  carried  his 

views 


f  DISCOVERY   01    AMERICA.        7 

\iews  into  the  moft  diftant  ages,  and  prefent- 
ed  fcenes  and  events,  of  a  nature  very  differ- 
ent from  the  genius  and  charadler  of  the  times 
in  which  he  lived.  Among  thefe,  the  increafc 
of  fcience,  as  it  is  connefted  with  traveUing, 
is  not  the  leaft  confpicuous.  Though  brief- 
ly mentioned,  yet  it  is  placed  among  the  mofl 
important  fa6ls,  and  is  reprefented  as  one  of 
the  happy  events  attending  the  reign  of  the 
Prince  Mefliah,  of  the  increafe  of  whofe  gov- 
ernment and  peace  there  Ihall  be  no  end. 

Subfequent  ages  and  tranfadions  have 
proved  that  this  prediction  was  founded  in 
truth.  Time  has  unfolded  what  was  forefeen 
in  prophetic  vifion  ;  and  the  hand  of  divine 
Providence  has  fpread  before  our  eyes,  thofe 
great  events,  which  many  prophets  and  wife 
men  defired  to  fee,  but  faw  them  not. 

As  "  the  teftimony  of  Jefus  is  the  fpirit  of 
prophecy,"  fo  we  may  very  properly  confider 
the  travels  of  the  Apo files  to  fpread  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  gofpel,  as  one  capital  inflance  of 
the  fulfilment  of  Daniel's  predi6lion.  By 
virtue  of  the  commifTion  which  they  received 
from  their  Lord,  and  the  fpecial  powers  with 
which  they  were  vefled,  particularly  the  gift 
of  tongues,  thofe  chofen  witnelTes  carried  the 

knowledge 


6  A   DISCOURSE  ON  the 

knowledge  of  the  truth  to  all  parts  of  the 
world,  then  known  ;  fo  that  it  might  be  faid 
of  them,  as  of  the  luminaries  of  heaven,  "  their 
found  went  into  all  the  earth  and  their  words 
to  the  end  of  the  world  ;  there  was  no  fpeech 
nor  language  where  their  voice  was  not 
heard."  The  effefts  of  that  evangelic  mif- 
fion,  though  in  fome  places  tranfient,  yet  in 
others  were  abiding.  Though  a  corrupt  form 
of  chriilianity  overfpread  many  of  the  na- 
tions who  had  heard  the  glad  tidings  of  fal- 
vation  ;  yet  fo  much  of  the  truth  remained, 
as  to  be  a  foundation  for  reviving  the  pure 
dodrines  and  pradlices  of  the  apollolic  age, 
when  a  concurrence  of  circumftances  prefent- 
ed  a  favourable  opportunity. 

Befide  the  miraculous  fpreading  of  divine 
truth  by  the  labours  and  travels  of  the  Apof- 
tles,  there  was  no  remarkable  event,  which 
might  be  called  another  inflance  of  the  ac- 
complifhment  of  the  prophecy  of  Daniel, 
till  feveral  centuries  had  elapfed.  Other 
caufes  then  contributed  to  produce  events, 
which,  either  in  their  nature  or  confequences, 
proved  beneficial  to  the  intereft  of  fcience. 
Even  the  fuperftition  which  prompted  the 
crufades,  in  the  tenth  and  eleventh  centuries, 

opened 


DISCOVERY  OF   AMERICA.         9 

(5pened  a  communication  between  the  moft 
diftant  countries  of  Europe  and  Afia  ;  and 
the  adventurers,  who  returned  from  the  holy 
land,  brought  home  a  tafte  for  the  manners, 
habits  and  produftions  of  the  eaft,  which 
proved  favourable  to  the  fpirit  of  commerce  ; 
the  moft  powerful  of  all  caufe^  which  have 
contributed  to  enlarge  the  fphere  of  fcience  ; 
becaufe  it  is  ftimulatcd  by  one  of  the  moft 
aftive  principles  of  the  human  mind. 

But  even  the  operations  of  commerce  were 
flow  and  languid,  till  the  difcovery  of  the 
macrnetic  needle,  in  the  beorinnins  of  the 
fourteenth  century.  Before  that  period,  the 
cautious  mariner  followed  the  indentings  of 
the  ftiore,  and  confumed  much  time  in  creep- 
ing along  from  Cape  to  Cape  ;  feeking  a  port 
before  every  tempeft,  and  drawing  up  his  bark 
to  land  during  the  reign  of  winter,  or  of  ad- 
verfe  winds.  But  when  the  polarity  of  the 
magnet  became  known,  he  ventured  farther 
into  the  ocean,  and  began  to  alTume  that  do- 
minion over  the  fea,  for  which  man  had  a 
gra'it  from  his  Creator,  when  he  was  original- 
ly formed  in  the  divine  image.  Then  the 
deep  rooted  errors  of  antiquity  were  gradual- 

B  ly 


lo  A  DISCOURSE  on  tui 

ly  correfled  :  The  torrid  and  frigid  zone* 
were  found  to  be  habitable.  The  dream  of 
Scipio  proved  to  be  an  illufion  :  Thule  was 
no  longer  the  laft  of  lands,  nor  the  pillars  of 
Hercules  the  boundary  of  the  univerfe. 

About  the  middle  of  the  fifteenth  century, 
when  the  Portuguefe  under  the  condudl  of 
Prince  Henry,  and  afterward  of  King  John 
IL  were  pulhirig  their  difcoveries  along  the 
weflern  flioVei  of  Africa^  to  find  a  palfage  by 
the  fouth  to  India ;  a  genius  arofe,  whofe 
memory  has  been  preferred  with  veneration 
in  the  pages  of  hiflory,  as  the  inllrument  of 
enlarging  the  region  of  fcience  and  commerce^ 
beyond  any  of  his  predecelTors.  CHRIST- 
OPHER COLUMBUS,  a  native  of  the 
Republic  of  Genoa,  was  born  in  the  year 
1447,  and  at  the  age  of  fourteen  entered  on 
a  feafaring  life,  as  the  proper  fphere,  in  which 
his  vigorotis  mind  was  deftined  to  perforni  ex- 
ploits which  ftiould  aftonifh  mankind.*  He 
was  educated  in  the  fciences  of  Geometry 
atid  Aflronomy,  which  form  the  bafis  of  nav- 
igation ; 

*  Life  of  Columbus  by  liis  fon  Ferdinand — 
Cliap.  4.  See  Vol.  II.  of  ChurchiU's  ColleQion 
of  Voyages, 


DISCOVERY  OF  AMERICA.      u 

igation  ;  and  he  was  well  verfed  in  Cofmo- 
graphy,  Hiftory  and  Philofophy.  His  a£live 
and  enterprifing  genius,  though  it  enabled 
him  to  comprehend  the  old  fyftems,  yet  would 
not  fufFer  him  to  reft  in  their  decifions,  how- 
ever fandified  by  time  or  by  venerable  names ; 
but,  determined  to  examine  them  by  a6lual 
experiment,  he  firft  viCted  the  feas  within  the 
polar  circle,  and  afterward  thofe  parts  of  Af- 
rica, which  the  Portuguefe  had  dilcovered,  as 
far  as  the  coaft  of  Guinea  ;  and  by  the  time 
that  he  had  attained  the  age  of  thirty-feven, 
he  had  from  his  own  experience  received  the 
fulleft  convi6lion,  that  the  opinion  of  the  an- 
cients refpe<3:ing  the  torrid  and  frigid  zones 
was  void  of  any  juft  foundation. 

When  an  old  fyftem  is  found  erroneous  in 
one  point,  it  is  natural  to  fulpeQ;  it  of  farther 
imperfeflions  ;  and  when  one  difficulty  is  o- 
vercome,  others  appear  lefs  formidable.  Such 
was  the  cafe  with  Columbus  ;  and  his  views 
were  accelerated  by  an  incident,  which  threat- 
ened to  put  an  end  to  his  life.  During  one 
of  his  voyages,  the  fliip  in  which  he  failed 
took  fire  in  an  engagement  with  a  Venetian 
ga^Uey,  and  the  crew  were  obliged  to  Irrip  in- 
to 


tt  A  DISCOURSE  ON  the 

to  the  fea,  to  avoid  periQiing  in  the  flames. 
In  this  extremity,  Columbus  by  the  help  of  a^ 
floating  oar  fwam  upwards  of  two  leagues,  to 
the  coafl  of  Portugal  near  Lifl>on,  and  met 
with  a  welcome  reception  from  many  of  his 
countrymen  who  were  fettled  there. 

At  Lifbon,  he  married  the  daughter  of 
Pereftrello,  an  old  feainan,  who  had  been 
concerned  in  the  difcovery  of  Porto  Santo 
?ind  Madeira;  from  whofe  journals  and  charts, 
he  received  the  higbeft  entertainment.  Pur- 
fuing  his  inquiries  in  Geography,  and  obferv- 
ing  what  flow  progrefs  the  Portuguefe  made 
in  their  attempts  to  find  a  way  round  Africa 
to  India,  "  he  began  to  refleft  that  as  the 
Portuguefe  travelled  fo  far  fouthward,  it  were 
no  lefs  proper  to  fail  wefliward,"*  and  that  it 
was  reafonable  to  expefl  to  find  the  defired 
land  in  that  dire6lion. 

It  muft  here  be  remembered,  that  India 
was  in  part  known  to  the  ancients,  and  that 
its  rich  and  ufeful  produdions  had  for  many 
centuries  been  conveyed  into  Europe,  either 
by  Caravans  through  the  defarts  of  Syria  and 
Arabia;  or  by  the  way  of  the  Red  Sea,  through 

Egypt, 

*  Life,  Chap.  V. 


DISCOVERY  OF  AMERICA.       i^ 

Egypt,  into  the  Mediterranean.*  This  lu- 
crative commerce  had  been  fucceflively  en- 
groffed  by  the  Phenicians,  the  Hebrews,  the 
Egyptians,  the  AfTyrians,  the  Palmyrenes, 
the  Arabians,  the  Genoefe  and  the  Venetians. 
The  Portuguefe  were  then  feeking  it  by  at- 
tempting the  circumnavigation  of  Africa  ;  and 
their  expeftation  of  finding  it  in  that  direc- 
tion was  grounded  on  ancient  hiftorical  tra- 
ditions, that  a  voyage  had  been  formerly 
made  by  the  orders  of  Necho  King  of  Egypt, 
from  the  Red  Sea,  round  the  fouthern  part 
of  Africa  to  the  ftraights  of  Hercules  ;  and 
that  the  fame  route  had  been  traverfed  by 
Hanno  the  Carthaginian,  by  Eudoxus  the 
Egyptian  and  others.  The  Portuguefe  had 
confumed  about  half  a  century  in  making  va- 
rious attempts,  and  had  advanced  no  farther, 
on  the  wellern  Coafl  of  Africa,  than  ju ft  to 
crofs  the  Equator,  when  Columbus  conceiv- 
ed his  great  defign  of  finding  India  in  the 
weft. 

The  caufes  which  led  him  to  entertain 
this  idea  are  diftinguiftied  by  his  fon,  the 
writer  of  his  life  into  thefe  three,t   "  natural 

rcafon, 

*  Robertfon's  India.     Bruce's  Travels. 

+  Life,  Ch^p.  \']. 


M  A  DISCOURSE  ON  the 

reafon,  the  authority  of  writers,  and  the  teftU 
tnony  of  failors." 

By  the  help  of  '-'reafon," he  argued  in  this 
Tnanner,  That  the  earth  and  fea  compofed 
one  globe  or  fphere.  This  was  known  by 
obferving  the  fliadow  of  the  earth  in  lunar 
^clipfes.  Hence  he  concluded  that  it  might 
be  travelled  over  from  eaft  to  weft  or  from 
weft  to  eaft.  It  had  been  explored  to  the 
the  eaft  by  fome  European  travellers  as  fai' 
as  Cipango  or  Japan,  and  as  far  weftward  as 
the  Azores  or  Weftern  Iflands,  The  re- 
maining fpace  though  now  known  to  be  more 
than  half,  he  fuppofed  to  be  but  one  third 
part  of  the  circumference  of  the  globe.  If 
this  fpace,  were  an  open  fea,  he  imagined  it 
might  be  eafily  failed  over  ;  and  if  there  were 
any  land  extending  ealiwardly  beyond  the 
known  limits  of  Afia.  he  fuppofed  that  it  muft 
be  nearer  to  Spain  by  the  weft  than  by  the 
eaft.  For  it  was  then  a  received  opinion 
that  the  continent  and  iflands  of  India  ex- 
tended over  one  third  part  of  the  circumfer- 
ence of  the  globe ;  that  aiiother  third  part 
was  comprehended  between  India  and  the 
weftern  fiiore  of  Spain  ;  therefore  it  was  con- 
cluded, that  the  caftern  part  of  India  muft  be 

as 


DISCOVERY  OF  AMERICA.         t^ 

as  near  to  Spain  as  the  weftern  part.  This- 
opinion  though  now  known  to  be  erroneous, 
yet  being  then  admitted  as  true,  made  it  ap- 
pear to  Columbus  veiy  eafy  and  pra6licable 
to  difcover  India  in  the  wefl.  He  hoped  al- 
io that  between  Spain  and  India,  in  that  di- 
rection, there  might  be  found  fome  iflands  5 
by  the  help  of  which,  as  refling  places  in  his^ 
voyage,  he  might  the  better  purfue  his  main 
defign.  The  probability  of  the  exiftence  of 
land  in  that  Ocean,  he  argued,  partly  from 
the  opinion  of  philofophers,  that  there  waj 
more  land  than  Tea  on  the  furface  of  the 
globe ;  and  partly  from  the  neceflity  of  x 
counterpoife  in  the  weft,  for  the  immenfe 
quantity  of  land  which  was  known  to  be  in 
the  eaft. 

Another  fource  from  which  he  drew  his- 
conclufion,  was  "  the  authority  of  learned, 
men,"  who  had  affirmed  the  poflibility  of  fail- 
ing from  the  weftern  coaft  of  Spain,  to  the 
eaftern  bounds  of  India.  Some  of  the  an- 
cient Geographers  had  admitted  this  for 
truth,  and  one  of  them*  had  affirmed  that 
forty  days  were  fufficient  to  perform  this  nav^ 
igation.     Thefe  authcfities  fell  in  with  the 

theory 
*  Pliny. 


i6  A  DISCOURSE  on  the 

theory  which  Columbus  had  formed  ;  and 
having  as  early  as  1474,  communicated  his 
ideas  in  writing  to  Paul,  a  learned  Phyfician 
of  Florence,  he  received  from  him  letters  of 
that  date,  confirming  his  opinion  and  encour- 
aging his  dcfign  ;  accompanied  with  a  chart, 
in  which  Paul  had  laid  down  the  city  of 
Quifay  (fuppofed  to  be  the  capital  of  China) 
but  little  more  than  two  thoufand  leagues 
weftward  from  Lifbon,  which  in  fa 61;  is  but 
half  the  diftance.  Thus  by  arguing  from 
true  principles,  and  by  indulging  conjeflures 
partly  well  founded  and  partly  erroneous, 
Columbus  was  led  to  the  execution  of  a  plan, 
bold  in  its  conception,  and  to  his  view  eafily 
praQicable  ;  for  great  minds  overlook  inter- 
mediate obftacles,  which  men  of  fmaller  views 
magnify  into  infuperable  difhculties. 

The  third  ground  on  which  he  formed  his 
idea  was  "  the  teftimony  of  mariners  ;"  a  clafs 
of  men  who  at  that  time,  and  in  that  imper- 
fefl;  ftate  of  fcience,  were  too  prone  to  mix 
fable  with  fa6l ;  and  were  often  milled  by  ap- 
pearances, which  they  could  not  folve.  In 
the  fea,  between  Madeira  and  the  Weftern 
I  Hands,  pieces  of  carved  wood  and  large  joints 
of  cane  had  been  difcovered,  which  were  fup- 
pofed 


DISCOVERY  OF  AMERICA.        17 

pofed  to  be  brought  by  vvefteily  winds. 
Branches  of  pine  trees,  a  canoe,  and  two  hu- 
man bodies  of  a  complexion  difFerent  from 
the  Europeans  and  Africans  had  been  found, 
on  the  ftiores  of  thefe  iflands.  Some  na- 
vigators had  affirmed,  that  they  had  feen 
iflands  not  more  than  an  hundred  leagues 
wefl;ward  from  the  Azores.  There  was  a 
tradition,  that  when  Spain  was  cdnquered  by 
the  Moors  in  the  eighth  century,  feven  Bifh- 
ops  who  were  exiled  from  their  country,  had 
built  feven  cities  and  churches,  on  an  iflandcal- 
led  Antilla ;  which  was  fuppofcd  to  be  not  more 
than  two  hundred  leagues  weft  of  the  Canaries  ; 
and  it  was  faid  that  a  Portuguefe  fhip  had 
once  difcovered  this  ifland,  but  could  never 
find  it  again.  Thefe  ftories,  partly  true  and 
partly  fabulous,  had  their  efFeft  on  the  mind 
©f  Columbus.  He  believed  that  iflands 
were  to  be  found,  wcftward  of  the  Azores  and 
Canaries,  though  according  to  his  theory,  they 
were  at  a  greater  djftance  than  any  of  his 
contemporaries  had  imagined.  His  candour 
led  him  to  adopt  an  opinion  from  Pliny  re- 
fpcding  floating  iflands,  by  the  help  of  which 
he  accounted  for  the  appearances  related  to 
C  him, 


i8  A   DISCOURSE  on  the 

him.  by  his  marine  brethren.  It  is  not  im- 
pfobable  that  the  large  iflands  of  floating 
ice,  driven  from  the  Polar  Seas  to  the  fouth- 
ward ;  or  the  Fog  Banks,  which  form  many 
lingular  appearances  refembling  land  and 
trees,  might  have  been  the  true  foundation  of 
this  opinion  and  of  thefe  reports.* 

It 

*  The  following  account  of  a  curious  deception, 
€xtra£lecl  from  the  Gentleman's  Magazine,  may  eluc- 
idate the  above  obfervations. 

Gentleman's  Magazine,  1752,  page  88. — "March 
4,  1748 — 9,  at  two  in  the  afternoon,  made  land, 
which  bore  N.  ■  E.  feven  leagues  diftance  by  ef- 
timation :  at  live  tacked,  being  about  three  Je«<gues 
from  faid  ifland,  wind  E.  S.  E.  latitude  by  obferva- 
tion  49^  40'  ;■  longitude  24^  30',  from  the  lizard.  This 
ifland  ftretches  N.  W.  and  S.  E.  about  5  leagues  long, 
and  9  miles  wide.  On  the  fouth  fide  fine  valleys  and 
a  great  number  of  birds. 

March  5,  faid  ifland  bore  N.  three  leagues.  N.  W. 
a  reef  of  rocks  three  miles.  This  day  a  fhip's  maft 
came  along  fide.  On  the  fouth  point  of  faid  ifland 
is  a  fmall  marlhy  iiland." 

"  A  copy  of  my  journal  on  board  the  fnow  St.  Paul 
of  London,  bound  from  South  Carolina  to  London. 
"  William  Otton,  Commander'" 

P.  S.  Captain  Otton  thought  he  faw  a  tent  on  the 
illand,  and  would  have  gone  alhore,  but  had  unfortu- 
;iately  flove  his  boat  fome  time  before. 

Gent. Mag.  175 1,/?.  235. — "Commodore Rodney 
is  commiffioned  to  go  in  queft  of  an  ifland,  which,  ac- 
cording to  the  report  of  a  mafter  of  a  (hip,  and  fome 

others^ 


DISCOVERY  OP  AMERICA.        19 

It  is  not  pretended  that  Columbus  was  the 
only  perfon  of  his  age  who  had  acquired  thefe 
ideas  of  the  form,  dimenfions  and  balancing 
of  the  globe  ;  but  he  was  one  of  the  few  who 
had  begun  to  think  for  themfelves,  and  he  had 
a  genius  of  that  kind,  which  makes  ufe  of  fpec- 

ulation 

others,  on  examination  before  the  Lords  ot  the  Ad- 
miralty, h'es  about  50*^  N.  and  about  300  leagues  weft 
of  England.  Capt.  Murdock  Mackenzie,  an  excel- 
lent mathematician,  and  author  of  the  fea  charts  of 
the  Orkney  and  Lewis  ifiands,  attends  hira  in  the 
Culloden  floop,  to  bring  back  an  account  of  what  dif- 
coveries  he  may  make.  As  this  Ifland  lies  out  of  the 
track  of  the  trade  to  America,  it  is  fuppofed  to  have 
been  mifled  by  navigators  to  our  colonics,  though 
marked  in  fome  Dutch  viaps.  If  the  Commodore  dif- 
covers  it,  he  is  to  take  poireilion  of  it  by  the  name  of 
Rodney's  ifland." 

Gent.  Mag.  1752,  p.  189. — "  Friday,  April  10, 
1752,  Commodore  Rodney  arrived  at  Woolwich  ; 
he  had  been  cruifing  ten  days  in  queft  of  an  illand, 
and  the  men  at  the  top-maft-head  were  more  than 
once  deceived  with  what  the  failors  call  fog-banks. 
About  the  6th  or  7th  day  (he  crew  obferved  branches 
of  trees  with  their  leaves  on,  and  flights  of  gulls, 
and  pieces  of  ftiipwreck,  which  are  generally  regarded 
as  certain  figns  oi  an  adjacent  flrore,  but  could  not. 
difcover  any." 

N.  B.  The  ifland  marked  in  the  Dutch  maps,  lies 
in  latitude  57*^,  and  longitude  13"  W.  It  has  been 
feen  by  American  Ihips  in  their  pafTage  from  RufTia, 
and  is  now  marked  in  the  Englifli  charts ;  it  could  not 
have  been  miflaken  for  this  imaginary  ifland,  being 
but  a  fingle  rock. 


&0  A  DISCOURSE  on  the 

ulation  and  reafoning  only  as  excitements 
to  aftion.  He  was  not  a  clofet  proje£lor,  but 
an  enlerprifing  adventurer  ;  and  having  ef- 
tablifhed  his  theory  on  principles,  he  was  de- 
termined to  exert  himfelf  to  the  utmoft,  to 
demonftrate  its  truth  by  experiment.  But 
deeming  the  enterprife  too  great  to  be  under- 
taken by  any  but  a  fovereign  ftate,  he  firft  ap- 
plied (as  it  is  faid)  to  the  Republic  of  Genoa, 
by  whom  his  proje£l  was  treated  as  vifionary  .* 
He  then  propofed  his  plan  to  John  II.  King 
of  Portugal,  who,  though  a  Prince  of  good 
underllanding  and  of  an  enterprifing  difpofi- 
tion,  yet  was  fo  deeply  engaged  in  profccuting 
difcoveries  on  the  African  coafl,  with  a  view 
to  find  a  way  to  India  round  that  continent ; 
and  had  been  at  fo  vafl  an  expenfe  without 
any  confiderable  fuccefs,  that  he  had  no  in- 
clination to  accept  the  terms  which  Columbus 
propofed.  Influenced  however  by  the  advice 
pf  Calzadilla,  a  favourite  courtier,  he  private- 

*  This  is  faid  on  the  authority  of  Herrera  the 
Spanifh  hiftorian  ;  Ferdinando  Columbus,  in  the  life 
of  his  father,  fays  nothing  of  it;  but  reprefents  his 
application  to  the  King  of  Portugal  as  the  firft,  an4 
gives  this  reafon  for  it,  "  bccaufe  he  lived  under 
him." 


DISCOVERY  OF  AMERICA.         &% 

ly  gave  orders  to  a  fliip,  bound  to  the  iflands 
of  Cape  de  Verd,  to  attempt  a  difcovery  in 
the  weft,  but  through  ignorance  and  want  of 
enterprife,  the  navigators,  after  wandering 
for  fome  time  in  the  ocean  and  making  no 
difcovery,  reached  their  deftined  port  and 
turned  the  projeft  of  Columbus  mto  ridicule. 

Difgufted  with  this  bafe  artifice  he  quitted 
Portugal,  and  went  to  Ferdinand,  King  of 
Spain,  having  previoufly  fent  his  brother  to 
England  to  folicit  the  patronage  of  Henry 
VII.  But  being  taken  by  pirates,  and  de- 
tained feveral  years  in  captivity,  Bartholo- 
mew had  it  not  in  his  power  to  reveal  his  pro- 
je£l  to  Henry,  till  Chriftopher  Columbus  had 
fucceeded  in  Spain.  Before  this  could  be  ac- 
complifhed,  he  had  various  obftacles  to  fur- 
mount  ;  and  it  was  not  till  after  feven  years 
of  painful  felicitation  that  he  obtained  his  re- 
queft. 

The  objections  made  to  the  prcpofal  of 
Columbus,  by  the  mofl  learned  men  in  Spain, 
to  whom  the  confideration  of  it  was  referred, 
will  give  us  fome  idea  of  the  ftate  of  geogra- 
phical fcience  at  that  time.  One  obje^ion 
was,  How  fhould  he  knew  more  than  all  the 

wife 


ss         A  DISCOURSE  ON  the 

wik  men  and  fkilful  failors  who  had  exifted 
iince  the  creation  ?  Another  was  the  author- 
ity of  Seneca  who  had  doubted  whether  it 
were  pofiible  to  navigate  the  ocean  at  any 
-great  diftance  from  the  fhore  ;  but  admitting 
that  it  were  navigable,  they  imagined,  that 
three  years  would  be  required  to  perform  the 
voyage,  which  Columbus  propofed.  A 
third  was,  that  if  a  Ihip  fhould  fail  weftward 
on  a  round  globe,  fhe  would  neceffarily  go 
down,  on  the  oppofite  fide, and  then  it  would 
be  impoffible  to  return,  becaufe  it  would  be 
like  climbing  up  a  hill,  which  no  fhip  could 
do  with  the  ftrongeft  wind.  A  fourth  ob- 
jeSion  was  grounded  on  a  book  of  St.  Au- 
guftirie,  in  which  he  had  exprejDTed  his  doubt 
of  the  exiftence  of  antipodes  and  the  poflibil- 
ity  of  going  from  one  hemifphere  to  the  oth- 
er. As  the  writings  of  this  Holy  Father  had 
received  the  fan6lion  of  the  Church,  to  con- 
tradift  him  was  deemed  herefy.* 

For  fuch  reafons,  and  by  fuch  reafoners  the 
propofal  of  Columbus  was  at  firft  reje6ied  ; 
but  by  the  influence  of  father  Perez,  a  Span- 
ifii  Prieft,  and  Lewis  Santangel,  an  officer  of 

the 
*  Life  of  Columbus,  Chap.  XIL 


DISCOVERY  OF  AMERICA.        23 

the  King's  houlhold,  Queen  Ifabella  was  per- 
fuaded  to  liften  to  his  folicitation,  and  after 
he  had  been  twice  repulfed,  to  recal  him  to 
Court  ;  when  fhe  offered  to  pawn  her  jewels 
to  defray  the  expcnfe  of  the  equipment, 
amounting  to  no  more  than  2500  crowns  ; 
which  fum  was  advanced  by  Santangel,  and 
the  Queen's  jewels  were  faved.  Thus,  to  the 
generous  decifion  of  a  female  mind,  we  owe 
the  difcovery  of  America. 

The  neceffary  preparations  being  made, 
and  a  year's  provifion  laid  in,   on  the  3d  of 
Auguft,   1492,  Columbus  failed  from  Pales, 
a  port  of  Spain,  on  the  Mediterranean,  with 
three  veffels,  one  of  which  was  called  a  Car- 
rack,  and  the  other  two,   Caravels  ;  having 
on  boai-d,  the  whole,  ninety  men.     Having 
paffed  through  the  ftraights  of  Gibraltar,  he 
arrived  at  the  Canaries,  on  the  12th  of  the 
fame  month  ;  where  he  was  detained  in  refit- 
ting one  of  the  Caravels,  and  taking  in  wood 
and  water,  till  the  6th  6f  September,  when 
he  failed  weftward  on  his  voyage  of  difcovery. 
This   voyage,  which  now  is  confidered  as 
an  ealy  and  pleafant  run,  between  the  lati- 
tudes of  20  and  30  degrees,  with  a  trade  wind, 
was  then  the  boldeft  attempt  which  had  ever 

been 


24  A   DISCOURSE   o^T    tiiE 

been  made,  and  filled  the  minds  of  the  belt 
feamen  with  apprehenGon.  They  were  go- 
ing direftly  from  home,  and  from  all  hope  of 
relief,  if  any  accident  fhould  befal  them.  No 
friendly  port  nor  human  being  was  known  to 
be  in  that  diredlion.  Every  bird  which  flew 
in  the  air,  every  fifli  which  appeared  in  the 
fea,  and  every  weed  which  floated  on  its  fur- 
face,  was  regarded  with  the  mofl  minute  at- 
tention,* as  if  the  fate  of  the  voyage  depend- 
ed on  it.  A  phenomenon  which  had  never 
before  been  obferved  flruck  them  with  terror. 
The  magnetic  needle  appeared  to  vary  from 
the  pole  :  They  began  to  apprehend  that 
their  compafs  would  prove  an  unfaithful 
guide ;  and  the  trade  wind,  which  wafted 
them  along  with  its  friendly  wings,  they  fear- 
ed would  obIlru6l  their  return. 

To  be  twenty  days  at  fea,  without  fight  of 
land  was  what  the  boldefl  mariner  had  never 
before  attempted.  At  the  expiration  of  that 
time  the  impatient  failors  began  to  talk  of 
throwing  their  commander  into  the  ocean 
and  returnmg  home.  Their  murmurs  reach- 
ed 

*  See  the  journal  of  the  voyage  iathe  Life  of  Co- 
lumbus, Chap.  XVIII— XXI. 


DISCOVERY  OF  AMERICA.        &5 

ed  his  ears  ;  but  his  aftive  mind  was  never  at 
a  lofs  for  expedients,  even  in  the  grcateft  ex- 
tremity. By  foothing,  flattery  and  artifice, 
by  inventing  realons  for  every  uncommon  ap- 
pearance, by  promifing  rewards  to  the  obedi- 
ent, and  a  gratuity  to  him  who  fliould  firft 
difcover  land,  in  addition  to  what  the  King 
had  ordered,  and  by  deceiving  them  in  the 
fhip's  reckoning,  he  kept  them  on  their  courfe 
for  fixteen  days  longer.  In  the  night  of  the 
1  ith  of  Oftober,  he  himfelf  faw  a  light,  which 
feemcd  to  be  on  fhore,  and  in  the  morning  of 
the  12th,  they  had  the  joyful  fight  of  land, 
which  proved  to  be  the  ifland  of  Guanahana, 
©ne  of  the  duller  called  Bahamas,  in  the  25th 
decree  of  north  latitude. 

o 

Thus  in  the  fpace  of  thirty-fix  days,  and  in 
the  45th  year  of  his  age,  Columbus  complet- 
ed a  voyage  which  he  had  fpent  twenty  years 
in  proje6ling  and  executing  ;  a  voyage  which 
opened  to  the  Europeans  a  new  world  ;  which 
gave  a  new  turn  to  their  thoughts,  to  their 
fpirit  of  enterprife  and  of  commerce  ;  which 
enlarged  the  empire  of  Spain,  and  flampcd 
with  immortality  the  name  of  Columbus. 

After  fpending  feveral   months  in  lailins: 

Irom  one  ifland  to  another  in  that  vaft  archi- 

P  pelago, 


26  A   DISCOURSE   on    the 

pelago,  which,  from  the  miftakes  of  the  age, 
received  ihe  name  of  the  Weft-Indies,  Colum- 
bus returned  to   Spain  with  the  two  fmaller 
vcITels,  the  larger  having  been  wrecked  on  the 
ifland  of  Hifpaniola.     During  his  paffagc  he 
met  with  a  violent  tempeft  which  threatened 
him  with  deftrudion.     In  this  extremity  he 
gave  an  admirable  proof  of  his  calmnefs  and 
forefight.     He  wrote  on  parchment  an  ac- 
count of  his  difcoveries,  wrapped  it  in  a  piece 
of  oiled  cloth,  and  inclofed  it  in  a  cake  of  wax, 
which  he  put  into  a  tight  cafk  and  threw  into 
the  fea.     Another  parchment,  fecured  in  the 
fame  manner  he  placed  on  the  flern,  that  if 
the  fhip  fhould  fink,  the  cafk  might  float,  and 
poflibly  one  or  the  other  might  be  driven  on 
ihore,  or  taken  up  at  fea  by  fome  future  navi- 
gator.     But  this  precaution  proved  fruitlefs. 
He  arrived  fafe  in  Spain  in  March,  1493,  '^^^ 
was  received  with  the  honours  due   to  his 
merit. 

After  this,  he  made  three  other  voyages  to 
America,  in  one  of  which  he  difcovered  the 
continent ;  and  in  a  fucceeding  voyage  he 
endeavoured  to  find  a  pafiage  through  it  to 
India,  but  in  vain  ;  that  dslirable  country  he 
never  law. 


DISCOVERY  OF  AMERICA.        27 

To  particularize  all  the  fucceeding  events 
m  thelife  of  that  great  man,  is  not  the  defign 
of  this  difcourfe  ;  let  it  fuffice  to  obferve,  that 
his  latter  days  were  embittered  by  the  envy 
of  his  rivals,  the  death  of  his  patronefs  and 
the  jealoufy  of  his  fovereign.  Though  he 
merited  the  honour  of  giving  his  own  name 
to  the  continent  which  he  difcovered,  yet  it 
was  called  after  an  inferior,  but  more  fortu- 
nate adventurer.*  Nor  have  endeavours  been 
wanting  both  formerly  and  lately  to  rob  him 
of  the  merit  of  originating  this  capital  dilcov- 
€ry.  But  in  the  pages  of  impartial  hiflory, 
he  will  always  be  celebrated  as  a  man  of  ge- 
nius and  fcienc€  ;  as  a  prudent,  Ikilful,  in- 
trepid navigator  ;  as  having  firft  reafoned  out 

the 

*  This  fortunate  adventurer  was  Amerigo  Vef. 
pucci  or  Americus  Vefputius,  a  Florentine  merchant 
and  mathematician,  who  failed  as  a  private  adventur- 
er with  Ojcda,  in  i-}99,  and  difcovered  the  conti- 
nent in  the  latitude  of  ,5°  N.  which  Columhus,  in  the 
prcccdingyear  had  difcovered  in  the  latitude  oi  9°  N. 
In  1^01,  Amerigo  made  another  voyage  to  the  Weft- 
Indies  ;  and  after  the  death  of  Columhus,  was  em- 
ployed hy  Ferdinand,  King  of  Spain,  to  dehneate 
the  new  difcoveries  on  charts.  From  thefc  cliarts, 
and  a  book  which  he  puhhfhed,  defcribing  the  new 
world,  this  continent  unjuftlv  obtained  tbc  name -of 
AMF-RICA, 


28  A  DISCOURSE  on  the 

the  probability,  and  then  demonftrated  the, 
certainty  of  the  exiftence  of  this  continent. 

It  is  remarkable,  that  a  fate  fimilar  to  that 
of  Columbus,  hath  befallen  others  of  the  firfl 
adventurers  to  America.  The  great  Raleigh 
was  facrificed  to  the  jealoufy  of  Spain  by  the 
pufilJAnimity  of  his  fovereign.  Smith,  Gor- 
ges, Maso?^  and  Popham,  confumed  their 
time  and  fortunes  in  profecuting  difcoveries, 
and  laying  a  foundation  for  the  profperity  of 
their  fuccelTors.  Yet  the  names  of  thefe  men 
have  not  been  given  to  any  confiderable  part 
of  this  territory,  the  obje6l  of  their  painful 
and  expenfive  undertakings.  Hiftory  how- 
ever will  preferve  the  memory  of  their  exer- 
tions, though  forgotten  by  thofe  States 
which  are  indebted  to  them  for  their  exift- 
ence. 

Having  thus  traced  the  fteps  by  which  the 
dijcovery  of  America  was  made  to  the  Euro- 
peans ;  let  us  take  a  view  of  its  connexion 
with  the  advancement  of  Jciencc. 

The  firft  branch  of  fcience  which  prefents 
itfelf  in  this  inquiry  is  Geography ;  the  knowl- 
edge of  which  has  been  moft  effentially  im- 
proved by  means  of  this  difcovery.     It  is  to 


DISGOVERY  OF  AMERICA.        29 

us  very  aftoniftiing,  that  the  ancient  phi- 
lofophers  perfifted  fo  tenacioufly  m  their 
opinion  refpefting  the  five  zones ;  and  efpec- 
ially  that  they  deemed  the  equatorial  regions 
uninhabitable,  when  they  had  the  means  of 
better  information.  For,  voyages  were  fre- 
quently made  from  the  red  fea  to  the  coaft  of 
India,  within  ten  or  twelve  degrees  of  the 
equator.  The  Carthaginians  planted  colo- 
nies on  the  weftern  fide  of  Africa,  within  five 
degrees  of  it;  and  if  the  country  of  Ophir 
was  the  fame  with  Sofala,  on  the  eaftern  fhore 
of  Africa,  the  navy  of  Solomon  mud  have 
crolfed  the  equator  both  in  going  and  return- 
ing. Notwithflanding  this  advantage  which 
they  certainly  had,  it  was  a  received  opinion 
among  the  Greeks  and  Romans,  which  no  one 
dared  to  controvert ;  that  the  torrid  zone  was 
fcorched  bv  the  vertical  fun,  and  that  no  hu- 
man being  could  refide  init,orpafs  through  it, 
from  the  northern  to  the  fouthernhemilphere. 
This  error,  it  is  probable,  firll  arofe  from  the 
knowledge  which  they  had  of  the  vaft,  fandy 
defarts  of  Africa,  which  had  fomctimes  prov- 
ed dc{lru6tive  to  whole  armies  who  had  at- 
tempted to  pafs   them.     The  only  way,   in 

which 


30  A  DISCOURSE  on  the 

which  we  can  account  for  their  not  correfting 
this  miRake,  is,  that  the  navigation  of  the 
fouthern  feas  was  performed  chiefly  by  the 
Phenicians  and  Carthaginians,  who  were  the 
enemies  and  rivals  of  the  Greeks  and  Romans, 
and  kept  their  knowledge  to  themfelves*  We 
find  among  them  no  philofophers,  and  very 
few  authors.  They  were  praQical  feamcn 
and  merchants,  intent  on  gain,  a^d  monopo- 
lizers of  commerce. 

The  Greeks  and  Romans  had  very  little 
more  of  the  fpirit  of  enterprife  than  was  con- 
ne6led  with  their  hoflile  expeditions;  but 
they  formed  theories  of  geography,  either  by 
theobfervations  and  reports  of  their  military 
commanders,  or  by  fecond  hand  information, 
or  by  conjefture  and  hypothefis.  Thefe  na- 
tions produced  many  authors,  and  many  of 
their  books  are  prcferved  to  our  times,  ia 
which  we  lee  the  imperfe6lion  of  their  knowl- 
edge of  the  globe,  their  prejudice  in  favour  of 
their  erroneous  fyftem,  and  their  incredulity 
when  evidence  was  offered  againil  their  pre* 
conceived  h3'potheris. 

On  the  authority  of  thefe  philofophers,  the 
Koman  woild  for  many  ages  founded  all  their 

geographical 


DISCOVERY  or   AMERICA.       31 

geographical   knowledge.      That    imperfed 
fyftem  became  at  length  a  part  of  the  creed  of 
the  Roman  church,  and  was  defended  by  the 
court  of  inquifition.  If  St.  Auguftine  doubt- 
ed the  diurnal  motion  of  the  earth,  or  the  ex' 
iilence  of  antipodes,  or  the  habitablenefs  of 
the  torrid  zone  ;  St.  Dominic  was  ready  with 
his  infernal  logic,   to  filence  every  one  who 
prefumed  to  dilTent  from  the  infallible  chair. 
Thus  ignorance  and  error   were  canonized, 
and  the  feeble  dawn  of  fcience  was  fcarcely 
able  to  penetrate  the  dark  mift  of  the  middle 
ages.     Even  after  the  difcoveries  made  by  the 
Portuguefe  in  the  eaft,  and  by  the  Spaniards 
in  the  weft,  the  Roman    Pontiff  gravely  af- 
fumed  a  right  to  divide   the   world  between 
them  by  a  line  drawn  from  pole  to  pole,  at 
the  diftance  of  an  hundred  leagues  from  the 
Azores  or  weftern  iflands  ;  without  any  pro- 
vifion,   in  cafe  they  Ihould  meet,    and  their 
claims  fhould  interfere  on  the  oppofite  fide  of 
the  globe.* 

By  the  progrefs  of  difcovery,  thofe  ancient 
fyflems  have  gradually  vaniflied,  and  man- 
kind 

*  See  .the  Bu!!  at  large  in  Hazard's  Colleftion,  vol, 
1.  page  5. 


32  A  DISCOURSE  on  the 

kind  have  founded  their  knowledge  of  the 
form  and  contents  of  the  terraqueous  globe, 
on  fa6i  and  experience.     One   traveller   has 
fucceeded  another,  and  one  nation  has  emu- 
lated another,  in  the  furrey  of  the  earth,  till 
within  the  laft  twenty  years  the  boundaries  of 
navigation  have  been  precifely  afcertained, 
and  the  circuit  of  the  globe  is  now  become  a 
familiar  voyage  among  our  marine  brethren. 
The  reign  of  George  III,  though  flaincd  with 
the  grollcft  political  errors,  and  difgraced  by 
the  lols  of  a   large  portion  of  this  continent 
from  his  dominion  ;  yet  deferves  refpeft,  for 
giving  birth  to  many  expenfive  adventures  to 
the  rnoft  diflant  regions,  efpecially  in  the  vaft 
pacific  ocean  ;  by  which  the  fcience  of  geog- 
raphy has  been  much  improved.    Indeed  we 
are  now  fo  fai  advanced  in  our  acquaintance 
with  the  globe,   that  every  fchool-boy  knows 
more  of  it  than  all  the  philofophers  of  antiqui- 
ty ;  and  as  we  proceed  in  our  inquiries  into 
this  noble  fcience,  we  learn  more   and  more 
of  the  wonderful  works  of  him  who  is  perfeft 
in  wifdom  and  knowledge. 

Conne6led  with  geography,  we  may  view 
the  fcience  of  nav'^aimi  as  alfo  greatly  irji- 

pvovfcd 


DISCOVERY  OF  AMERICA.         33 

proved  (ince  this  difcoveiy.     By  navigation 
I  do   not  meanr  barely    the    mathematical 
knowledge  neceffary  to  keep  the  reckoning  of 
a  fliip,  and  the  celeftial  obfervations  to  deter- 
mine its  pofition  ;  though  even  thefe  are  re- 
duced to  more  accuracy,  and  performed  by 
better  inftruments  than  formerly;  but  I  would 
comprehend  the  whole  art  of  travelling  by 
fea,  the  conflru6Hon  and  equipment  of  fhips, 
and  the  methods  ufed  to  preferve  the  lives 
and  health  of  leamcn  in  all  climates.     When 
Columbus  failed  on  his  hrft  voyage,  two  of 
the  veffels  employed  in  that  fervice  were  with- 
out decks,*  and  in  the  fhoit  run  from  Spain 
to  the  Canaries  one  of  them   loft  her  rudder. 
This  mull  give  us  an  idea  of  the  very  imper- 
fe6l  ftatc  of  naval  architcdure  at  that  period  ; 
for  thefe  were  doubtlefs  the  beft  fiiips  which 
could  be  procured  in  the  dominion  of  Queen 
Ifabella,  and  they  were  three  months  in  pre- 
paring for   the  voyage.     After   that  period, 
commerce,  the  foul  of  navigation,  diftated 
the  building  and  equipment  of  larger,  ftrong- 

er 
*    "Ex  regio  fifco  deflinata  funt  tria  navigia  ; 
unum  omrarium  cavealum,  alia  duo  levia  fnercatoria 
fine  conns,  qua.  ab  Hifpanis  Caravela:  vocantur." 

Peter  Matyr,  de  orbe  novo. 
E 


34  A'  biSCOURSE  on   the 

erand  more  commodious  veflels,  for  the  pur- 
pofe  of  tranrporting  merchandife,  and  explor- 
ing new  regions.  But  that  fatal  diftemper 
the  fcurvy,  was  an  obftacle  which  for  many- 
years  baffled  the  ingenuity  of  man,  and  the 
power  of  medicine.  It  is  but  half  a  century 
lince  the  fquadron  of  AnsOxN,  in  circumnav- 
igating the  globe,  were  reduced  to  the  utmoft 
diftrefs,  by  its  uncontroled  ravages.  But 
within  the  laft  tweiity  years,  methods  have 
been  adopted  to  prevent  it  ;  and  the  n^the 
of  CooKE  will  always  be  renowned  in  naval 
hiftory,  for  having  fuccefsfully  perfected  the 
means  of  pi-eferving  the  lives  of  feamen 
jn  the  longeft  voyages  ;  as  well  as  for 
having  eflablillied  the  limits  of  navigation, 
toward  the  foutherh  arid  the  northern  poles. 
It  IS  now  known  by  experience,  that  the 
human  conftitution  is  capable,  by  proper 
management,  of  enduring  all  the  viciffitudes 
of  heat  and  cold,  of  moifture  and  drynefs,  to 
which  any  acceflible  part  of  the  earth  is  fub- 
je6t ;  and  that  its  health  may  be  preferved  in 
all  climates  and  fituations.  This  difcovery  is 
in  the  higheft  degree  favourable  to  the  pur- 
pofes  of  commerce,  which  in  the  prefeni  age.. 

affords 


DISCOVERY  OF  AMERICA.         35 

affords  its  friendly  afliftance  to  the  progiels 
of  knowledge  and  humanity. 

We  may  alfo  reckon  the  fcience  of  natural 
hi/lory  as  greatly  improved  by  the  difcovery 
of  this  continent.  It  has  given  mankind  more 
juft  and  fublime  ideas  of  the  works  of  God, 
fome  of  which  appear  to  be  conflru6led  on  a 
larger  fcale,,.and  in  a  more  magnificent  ftyle, 
than  in  the  old  continent.  The  immenle 
Andes  of  South  America  are  elevated  above 
the  Alps,  the  Taurus  or  the  Atlas.  The  Am- 
azon, Oronooque  and  La  Plata  difcharge 
greater  quantities  of  water  than  the  Danube, 
the  Ganges  or  the  Nile.  ThQ  vafl:  chain  of 
lakes  which  flow  into  the  St.  Lawrence, forms 
a  Angular  phenomenon,  which  no  part  of  the 
old  continent  can  parallel.  Befides,  America 
can  boaft  of  the  mofl:  extenlive  and  fertile 
plains,  whilfl;  it  is  entirely  free  from  thofe 
Icorching  fands  and  parched  defarts,  which 
deform  the  countries  of  Africa  and  Arabia. 
In  America  are  found  feveral  fpecies  of  an- 
^^.mals  unknown  in  other  parts  of  the  world, 
befide  the  remains  of  fome  fuppofcd  to  be 
now  extinct,  which  for  bulk  and  ftrcngth  mtift 
at  leafl  have  equalled  the  elephant  of  Afia 
and  Africa.     The  vegetable  produ^ions  of 

this 


36  A  DISCOURSE  ON  the 

this  continent  have  alfo  enriched  the  medical 
art,  with  many  valuable  acquifitions  before 
unknown.  The  precious  metals,  gold  and 
filver  as  well  as  diamonds  and  pearls  are  vaft- 
ly  more  common,  and  of  lefs  value  than 
before  ;  and  the  foflil  trealures  which  have 
been  difcovcred,  afford  not  only  many  uieful 
articles  in  commerce  and  the  arts,  but  dcm- 
onftrate  the  certainty  of  an  univerfal  difrup- 
tion  of  the  earth,  at  fome  remote  period,  and 
thus  confirm  the  truth  of  facred  hiflory. 

The  difcovery  of  Amciica  has  alfo  open- 
ed an  important  page  in  the  hijlcry  of  man. 
We  find  our  brethren  of  the  human  race, 
fcattered  over  all  parts  of  this  continent,  and 
the  adjacent  iflands.  We  fee  mankind  in 
their  feveral  varieties  of  colour,  form  and 
habit,  and  we  learn  to  confider  ourfelves  as 
one  great  family,  fent  into  the  world  to  make 
various  experiments  for  happmefs. 

One  of  the  grandeft  of  thefe  experiments 
has  been  made  in  our  own  part  of  this  conti- 
nent. Freedom,  that  noble  gift  of  heaven,  has 
here  fixed  her  ftandard,  and  invited  the  diftrelF- 
edof  all  countries  to  take  refuge  under  it.  Our 
virtuous  anceftors  fled  from  the  impofitions 
and  perfecutions  to  which  they  were  fubjcft- 

ed 


DISCOVERY  OF  AMERICA.         37 

cd  in  England;  and  found  in  this  wildernefs 
an  afylum  from  that  tyranny.     Their  exam- 
ple was  followed  by  others,  and  in  North  A- 
merica,  the  opprefled  of  Europe  have  always 
found  fafety  and  relief.      But  we  were  dcfign- 
ed  by   Providence  for  a   nobler  experiment 
,  ftill :   Not  only  to  open  a  door  of  fafety  to 
our   European  brethren  here  ;    but  to  Ihow 
them  that  they  are  entitled  to  the  fame  rights 
in  their  native  countries  ;    and  we  have  fet 
them  an  example  of  a  hazardous,  but  fuccefs- 
ful  vindication  of  thofe  rights,  which  are  the 
gift  of  God  to  man. 

It  is  both  amufing  and  infl;ru6live  to  re- 
view our  former  notions  of  liberty,  both  civil 
and  religious  ;  and  to  fee  what  imperfeft 
ideas  we  had  on  thefe  fubjetls,  derived  by  tra- 
dition from  our  European  anceflors.  Like 
them  we  boafted  of  Engli/h  liberty  ;  as  if  Eng- 
lilhmen  had  fome  exclulive  rights,  beyond 
any  other  people,  on  the  face  of  the  earth. 
And  what  was  Englifti, liberty  ?  Its  origin 
mufl  be  fought  in  ancient  charters,  and  par- 
ticularly in  magna  charta,  granted  by,  or  rath- 
er forced  from,  one  of  the  worfl  princes  that 
ever  difgraced  a  throne.  The  liberties  of 
Erjglifhmcn,   after    the    Norman   Conquell, 


38  A  DISCOURSE  ON  the 

were  the  grants  of  their  Kings  ;*  and  the  pre- 
rogative was  the  claim  of  thofe  Kings  to  pow- 
er and  dominion  fuppofed  to  be  founded  on 
a  divine  right. 

In  the  early  flages  of  our  con  trover fy,  we 
had  formed  an  idea  of  hberty,  as  an  inherit- 
ance, defcended  to  us  from  our  anceftors,  who 
were  Englifhmen  ;t  fome  of  whom,  when 
they  quitted  England,  jiad  received  of  the 
then  reigning  prince,  charters  under  the 
great  feal ;  by  which  it  was  fuppofed  that 
their  privileges  were  confirmed  to  them  and 
their  poflerity  ;  and  the  colonies  which  had 
thefe  charters  plumed  themfelves  on  poffef- 
ling  more  and  greater  privileges,  than  thofe 

ftykd 

*  "  I  have  always  confidered  the  boafted  birth- 
right of  an  Englilhman,  as  an  arrogant  pretenfion 
built  on  a  beggarly  foundation.  It  is  arrogant,  be- 
caufe  it  intimates  a  kind  of  exclufion  to  the  reft  of 
mankind  from  the  fame  privileges  ;  and  it  is  beggar- 
Iv,  beeaufe  it  reds  our  legitimate  freedom  on  the  alms 
of  our  princes."  Catharine  Macaulay  Graham, 

i  "  Few  people  have  extended  their  inquiries  af- 
ter the  toupdation  of  their  rights  beyond  a  charter 
from  the  crown.  Others  think  when  they  have  got 
back  to  old  magna  charta^  that  they  arc  at  the  begin- 
ning of  all  things.  They  imagine  themfelves  on  the 
borders  of  Chaos,  and  fee  creation  rifing  out  of  the 
unfoimcd  mafs.  Hence,  fay  they,  ipiing^all  the 
rights  of  men  and  of  citizens." 

James  Ody.    1764. 


DISCOVERY  OF  AMERICA.       39 

ftyled  royal  provinces,  which  were  governed 
by  temporary  commiflions  from  the  crown, 
revocable  at  the  royal  pleafure. 

In  like  manner,  our  title  to  religious  free- 
dom was  fuppofed  to  be  derived,  partly  from 
the  fame  charters  and  commiflions  ;  in 
which,  liberty  of  confcience  was  granted  by 
the  King,  to  fuch  of  his  fubjefts  as  fhould 
fettle  in  the  plantations  ;  partly  from  a6ls  of 
toleration,  made  in  England,  and  conftrued 
to  extend  to  the  colonies  ;  and,  partly  from 
our  own  laws  made  to  favour  the  religious 
opinions  and  praftices  of  thofe  who  diffented 
from  the  majority.  Religious  liberty  was 
not  placed  on  its  right  foundation,  nor  deriv- 
ed from  its  true  fource.  The  world  was  not 
obliged  to  the  ftatefman  or  the  divine,  for  the 
firft  acknowledgment  of  this  darling  right;  but 
to  the  fpirit  of  commerce  and  to  the  interelled 
views  of  the  merchant.  Religious  toleration 
was  introduced  into  the  European  countries 
for  the  benefit  of  trade.  When  the  merchants 
of  Holland  flruck  out  the  idea,  it  was  regard- 
ed by  their  neighbours,  with  the  fame  horror 
as  a  peflilence.  It  was  imported  into  England, 
with  William,  Prince  of  Orange,  under  whofe 

patronage 


40  A  DISCOURSE  on  the 

patronage  it  was  formed  into  a  law  ;  but  it 
has  never  been  there  fo  extenfively  admitted 
as  to  put  all  fe6ls  and  parties  on  an  equal  foot- 
ing. A  preference  is  flili  given  to  one  de- 
nomination above  all  others  ;  and  if  an  Eng- 
lishman would  fully  enjoy  the  privileges  of 
an  Engliihman,  he  muft  conform  to  the  rites 
and  ceremonies  of  what  is  called  the  eftablifh- 
ed  church  ;  all  other  perfons  are  fubjedl  to 
burdens  and  incapacities,  from  which  they 
cannot  be  free,  whilfl  they  continue  within 
that  realm  ;  and  the  oppofers  of  thefe  une- 
qual burdens  are  expofed  to  the  rage  of  par- 
ty zeal,  which  in  fome  late  inftances  has  been 
carried  to  the  moft  criminal  excefs. 

Too  much  of  the  fame  fpirit,it  muft  be  con- 
felTed,  has  reigned  here.  Our  anceftors  in 
New  England  ertablifhed  a  teft  before  any 
was  enacted  by  the  Englifh  parliament  ; 
and  though  it  has,  long  fince,  been  abrogat- 
ed, yet  the  idea  of  an  exclufive  right  to  the 
honours  and  emoluments  of  government,  by 
the  prevailing  religious  denomination,  con- 
tinued till  very  lately.  Some  of  us  can  re- 
member the  time,  when  it  was  thought  a  fuffi- 
cient  objeftion  to  a  man's  being  chofen  to  a 
feat  in  the  legiflature,  that  he  belonged  to  the 

Epilcopal 


DISCOVERY  OF  AMERICA.        41 

Epifcopal  Church.  And,  even  at  this  enlight- 
ened period,  I  blufh  to  own,  that,  by  the 
Conftitutionof  this  Commonweahh,  the  Jew, 
the  Mahometan,  the  Gentoo,  and  the  Dilci- 
ple  of  Confucius,  are  excluded  from  our  pub- 
lic councils,  be  they  ever  fo  good  citizens  ; 
whilfl  men,  who  for  convenience,  call  them- 
felves  Chriflians,  though  deeply  tinged  with 
infidelity,  and  deftitute  of  moral  principles, 
may  freely  be  admitted. 

But  though  imperfe6lion  is  more  or  lefs 
interwoven  with  all  human  conflitutions  ;  yet 
a  fpirit  of  improvement  is  evidently  pervad- 
ing  this  country.  Several  of  the  firft  forms 
of  government  which  were  made  for  thefe 
States,  have  been  reviewed  and  amended.  Re- 
ligious tefts  have  been  gradually  aboliflied  ; 
and  our  national  form  of  government  is  en- 
tirely free  from  them.  It  leaves  religion 
where  all  civil  government  ought  to  leave  it; 
to  the  confciences  of  individuals,  under  the 
control  of  the  fuprcme  Lord. 

As  learning  is   acknowledged  to  be  eflen- 
tially  neceflary  to  the  prefervatron  of  a  repub- 
lican government,  fo  wherever  the  true  fpirit 
of  liberty  reigns   it  will  cherifli  the  intcreft 
F  Ot 


4*  A   DISCOURSE   on    the 

of  fcience.  This  principle  was  well  under- 
llood  by  the  fathers  of  New  England,  and 
we  their  pofterity  have  reaped  th€  benefit  of 
their  wife  and  faithful  care  to  provide  the 
means  of  inftrutlion  for  us.  The  fame  fpirit 
feems  more  and  more  to  prevail  throughout 
this  country,  and  forms  one  of  the  moft  hap- 
py omens  of  the  prefervation  of  liberty  to 
future  generations. 

From  our  example  of  a  government  found- 
ed on  the  principle  of  reprefentation,  exclud- 
ing all  family  pretenfions  and  titles  of  nobil- 
ity, other  nations  are  beginning  to  look  into 
their  natural  and  original  rights  as  men  ;  and 
to  aflfert  and  maintain  them  againft  the  claims 
of  defpotifm.  As  far  as  the  prefent  ftrugglc 
in  Europe  againft  civil  and  fpiritual  ufurpa- 
tion,  is  conducied  on  virtuous  principles,  we 
cordially  wilh  it  fuccefs.  But  have  we  not 
reafon  to  fear  that  the  caufe  of  liberty  may 
be  injured  by  the  intemperate  zeal  of  its 
friends,  as  much  as  by  the  fyftematic  oppofi- 
tion  of  its  enemies  ?  If  wifdom,  harmony  and 
fortitude  were  combined  with  patriotifm  on 
the  fide  of  liberty,  we  might  hope  that  the 
time  was  approaching,  when  an  hereditary 
right  to  govern  a  nation  would  appear  as  con- 
temptible 


DISCOVERY  OF  AMERICA.        43 

temptible  as  the  royal  touch  for  the  King's 
evil ;  and  when  the  loftieft  prelates  of  Europe 
would  find  themfelves  reduced  to  the  fame  level 
with  the  curate  of  a  parifh.  But  what  fcenes 
of  anarchy  and  diftrefs  may  take  place  before 
thefe  defirable  events,  we  mufl  waft:  for  time 
to  unfold. 

It  is  an  old  obfervation  of  Solomon,  "  He 
thatincreafeth  knowledge  increafeth  forrow." 
This  may  juftly  be  applied  to  the  enlarge- 
ment of  fcience  which  is  made  by  the  difcov- 
ery  of  America.  The  field  is  extended,  but 
difficulties  have  arifen  which  are  not  yet  folv- 
ed.  Though  we  have  learned  more  of  the 
works  of  creation  and  providence  than  was 
known  to  preceding  ages,  yet  we  find  that 
there  is  ftill  more  behind  the  curtain. 

Among  thefe  difficulties  we  may  reckon  the 
queftion,  whence  was  Amerka  peopled  ?  For 
three  centuries  this  has  been  a  fubjeft  of  de- 
bate among  the  learned  ;  %nd  it  is  amufing, 
to  fee  how  national  prejudice  has  become  in- 
volved with  philofophical  difquifition,  in 
the  attempts  which  have  been  made  to  folve 
the  queftion.  The  claims  of  Hanno  the  Car- 
thaginian, of  Madoc  the   Wclchman,  of  the 

feven 


44  A  DISCOURSE  on  the 

feven  Bifhops  of  Spain,  and  the  ten  tribes  of 
Ifrael.  have  had  their  feveral  advocates  ;  and 
after  all,  the  claim  of  the  fix  nations  is  as  well 
founded  as  any,  that  their  anceflors  fprung 
like  trees  out  of  the  foil.  The  true  philofo- 
pher  will  treat  them  all  with  indifference,  and 
will  fufpend  his  judgment  till  he  has  better 
information  than  any  which  has  yet  appear- 
ed. Since  the  late  difcovery  of  many  cluf- 
ters  of  iflands  in  the  Pacific  Ocean,  and  the 
near  approach  of  the  Afian  to  the  American 
continent,  the  difficulty  with  rcfpeft  to  the 
population  of  America,  by  the  human  fpccies 
is  leffened  ;  and  had  this  continent  been  dif- 
covered  by  a  fcientific  people  on  its  weftern, 
before  it  was  on  its  caftern  fide,  perhaps  the 
queftion  would  not  have  been  fo  long  nor  fo 
warmly  agitated.  But  flill  the  tianfporta- 
tion  of  other  animals  from  the  old  to  the  new 
continent,  and  the  exiRence  of  fome  here 
which  arc  not  known  there,  is  a  fubjeft,  which 
remains  involved  in  obfcurity. 

Before  we  have  folved  one  difficulty  anoth- 
er rifes  to  view.  It  is  not  many  years  fince 
the  large  bones  found  in  the  neighbourhood 
pf  the  Ohio  excited  mucli  attention.     We 

had 


DISCOVERY  OF   AMERICA.       45 

had  fcarcely  conjeftured  to  what  animal  they 
belonged  when  a  new  objeft  was  brought  for- 
ward. Mounds  and  fortifications  of  a  regular 
conftrudion  were  difcovered  in  the  thickeft 
Ihades  of  the  American  foreft,  overgrown 
with  trees  of  immenfe  age,  which  are  fuppof- 
ed  to  be  not  the  firft  growth  upon  the  fpot 
fince  the  dereliftion  of  its  ancient  pofreffors. 

The  mod  obvious  mode  of  folving  the  dif- 
ficulty which  arofe  in  the  curious  mind  on 
this  occafion  was  by  making  inquiry  of  the 
natives.  But  the  ftru6lures  are  too  ancient 
for  their  tradition,  their  nldefl  and  wifefl  men 
know  nothing  of  their  original.  Indeed  the 
form  and  materials  of  thefe  works  feem  to 
indicate  the  exigence  of  a  race  of  men  in  a 
flage  of  improvement  fuperior  to  thofe  natives 
of  whom  we  or  our  fathers  have  had  any 
knowledge  ;  who  Iiad  different  ideas  of  con- 
venience and  utility;  who  were  more  patient 
of  labour,  and  better  acquainted  with  the  art 
of  defence. 

That  thefe  woiks  were  not  conflrufled  bv 
any  Europeans  who  have  penetrated  the  A- 
merican  wilderncfs  hnce  the  difcovery  of  the 
continent,   appears   from  various  confidera- 

tions  : 


46  A  DISCOURSE  on  the 

tions;*  but  mod  decifively  from  the  trees 
found  growing  on  them  ;  which  by  indubit- 
able marks  are  known  to  be  upwards  of  three 
hundred  years  old.  At  what  remote  period 
thefe  works  were  ercfted  and  by  whom  ;  what 
became  of  their  builders  ;  whether  they  were 
driven  away  or  deftroyed  by  a  more  fierce  and 
favage  people,  the  Goths  and  Vandals  of 
America  ;  or  whether  they  voluntarily  mi- 
grated to  a  diflant  region ;  and  where  that 
region  is,  are  queftions  which  at  prefent  can 
not  be  fatisfaftorily  anfwered. 

Our  aftonifhment  is  further  excited,  by 
confidering  that  the  difcovery  of  America  has 
opened  a  large  mart  for  the  commtru  injlavts. 
from  the  oppolite  continent  of  Africa.  So 
much  has  been  written  and  fpoken  on  the  in- 
iquity attending  this  deteftable  fpecies  of  traf- 
fic, that  I  need  not  attempt  again  to  excite 
the  feelings  of  indignation  and  horror,  which 
I  doubt  not  have  pervaded  the  bread  of  every 
perfon  now  prefent,  when  contemplating  this 
flagrant  infult  on  the  laws  of  jullice  and  hu- 
manity. Ilhall  only  obferve,  that  thefirftintro. 

du6lion 

*  See  the  Columbian  Magizine,  for  J788.  P.  477, 
645. 


DISCOVERY  OF  AMERICA.        47 

du^ion  of  the  negro  flavery  into  America, 
was  occafioned  by  the  previous  deftruftion 
of  the  native  inhabitants  of  the  Weft-India 
iflands,  by  the  cruelty  of  their  Spanifh  con- 
querors, in  exafling  of  them  more  labour 
than  they  were  able  to  perform.  The  moft 
remarkable  and  unaccountable  circumftancc 
attending  the  beginning  of  this  traffic,  is,  that: 
it  was  recommended  by  a  Spanifti  Bifhop, 
one  of  the  moft  benevolent  friends  of  the  In- 
dians, whom  he  could  not  bear  to  fee  fo  wan- 
tonly deftroyed  by  his  countrymen.  When 
they  prelfed  him  with  this  difficulty,  "  How 
fhall  our  plantations  be  cultivated  if  we  may 
not  ufe  the  natives  as  our  Haves  ?"  He  ad- 
vifed  them  to  fend  to  Africa,  for  a  more  ro- 
buft  and  patient  race  of  men,  who  could  bet- 
ter bear  the  fatigue  of  labour  in  a  warm  cli- 
mate. Thus  from  a  principle  of  lenity  to- 
ward the  favages  of  America,  he  introduced 
the  commerce  of  flaves  from  Africa  ;  which 
has  proved  deftruftive  to  human  life  and 
happinefs,  in  the  fame  proportion  that  it  has 
encouraged  avarice, luxury,  pride  and  cruelty. 
But  do  I  not  fee  the  dawn  of  that  aufpi- 
cious  day  which  fhall  put  a  ftop  to  this  in- 
famous 


48  A   DISCOURSE  ox  thi 

famous  traffic,  and  fhall  teach  mankind  that 
Africans  have  a  native  right  to  liberty  and 
property  as  well  as  Europeans  and  Americans  ?  . 
May  thefe  rights  ever  be  refpedled,  and  nev- 
er more  be  infringed,  efpecially  by  thofe  who 
have  luccefsfully  contended  for  the  eflablifh' 
ment  of  their  own. 

Let  us  now  turn  our  attention  to  another 
fubjeft  of  debate,  arifing  from  the  knowledge 
of  this  continent.  If  the  gofpel  was  defigned 
for  an  univerfal  benefit  to  mankind,  why  was 
it  not  brought  by  the  Apoflles  to  America, 
as  well  as  propagated  in  the  feveral  regions  of 
the  old  continent  ?  To  folve  this  difficulty, 
it  has  been  alleged  that  America  wa^  known 
to  the  ancients  ;  and  that  it  was  enlightened 
by  the  perfonal  miniftry  of  the  Apoflles.* 
With  equal  propriety  it  might  be  folved,  by 
denying  that  America  was  at  that  time  in- 
habited by  any  human  being,  and  it  might 
not  be  impofTible  to  maintain  this  negative  po- 
rtion, again fl  any  pofitive  proof  which  can 
be  adduced  to  the  contrary.  But  both  are 
attended  with  difhculties  which  require  more 

light 

*  See  an  elaborat-e  Eflay  on  this  fubjecl  by  the  late 
Dr.  Samuel  Mather. 


DISCOVERY  OF  AMERICA.      49 

light  to  unravel  than  has  yet  appeared.  If 
America  was  peopled  at  that  period,  perhaps 
the  (late  of  human  fociety  was  fuch,  that  the 
wife  and  benevolent  Author  of  chriftianity 
faw  no  profpeft  of  fuccefs,  to  the  propagation 
of  his  gofpel  here,  without  the  intervention  of 
more  and  greater  miracles,  than  were  confift- 
ent  with  divine  wifdom  or  the  nature  of  nfwin 
to  permit. 

Nearly  akin  to  this,  is  another  difficulty. 
The  native  inhabitants  of  Peru,  for  fome 
centuries  before  the  Spanilh  invafion,  are  re- 
prefented  as  worflaipers  of  the  fun;  whofe  uni- 
verfally  benignant  influence  to  the  world  they 
thought  themfelves  bound  to  imitate.*  Ac- 
cordingly their  national  chara6ter  was  mild, 
gentle  and  humane.  They  made  no  ofFen- 
five  wars ;  and  when  they  repelled  the  inva- 
lions  of  their  favage  neighbours,  and  conquer- 
ed them,  it  was  done  with  a  view  to  reduce 
them  from  their  native  ferocity,  under  the 
government  of  rational  and  focial  principles  ; 
and  to  incorporate  them  with  themfelves, 
that  they  might  enjoy  the  benefits  of  their  own 
pacific  fyflem.  Their  code  of  laws,  deliver- 
ed 

*  See  Garciiaffo  de  la  Vega's  Royal  Commenta- 
tions of  Peru. 

G 


50  A  DISCOURSE  on   the 

ed  by  the  founder  of  their  empire,  was  a 
work  of  reafon  and  benevolence,  and  bore  a 
great  refemblance  to  the  divine  precepts  giv- 
en hy  Mofes  and  confirmed  by  Jefus  Chrift. 
In  fhort,  they  fceni  to  have  made  the  neareft 
approach  to  the  fyflem  of  chriftianity,  I  mean 
the  moral  part  of  it,  of  any  people  who  had 
never  been  formally  inftru6ted  in  its  princi- 
ples. 

It  would  feem  then  to  human  reafon,  that 
they  were  fit  obje61s  for  an  apoflolic  mifTion  ; 
and,  that  if  the  pure,  fimple,  original  doQrine 
of  the  gofpei  had  been  preached  to  them  they 
would  readily  have  embraced  it. 

But  when  we  find  that  thefe  mild  and 
peaceful  people  were  invaded  by  avaricious 
Spaniards,  under  a  pretence  of  converting 
them  to  the  catholic  faith ;  when  inflead  of 
the  meek  and  humble  language  of  a  primi- 
tive evangelift,  we  fee  a  bigoted  Friar  grave- 
ly advancing  at  the  head  of  a  Spanifh  army, 
and,  in  a  language  unknown  to  the  Peruvians, 
declaring  that  their  country  was  given  to  his 
nation,  by  the  Pope  of  Rome,  God's  only  vic- 
ar on  earth,  and  comm  anding  them  to  re- 
ceive their  new  maftcrs  on  pain  of  death ; 
when  we  confider  this  parade  of  arrogant  hy- 

pocri  fy 


DISCOVERY  OF  AMERICA.         51 

pocrify  as  the  fignal  for  flaughtcr,  and  fee  the 
innocent  viftims  falling  by  the  fword  of  thefe 
minifters  of  deflruftion  ;  when  we  fee 
the  whole  nation  vanquifhed,  difheartened, 
and  either  murdered  or  reduced  to  flavery, 
by  their  favage  conquerors  ;  when  inftead  of 
the  worfhip  which  they  addrcffed  to  the  lu- 
minary of  heaven,  and  which  needed  but  one 
flep  more  to  conduft  them  to  the  knowledge 
of  its  invifible  Creator,  we  fee  the  pomp  of 
Popifh  idolatry,  with  the  infernal  horrors  of 
the  Inquifition  introduced  into  their  country  ; 
our  aftonifhment  is  excited  to  the  hi5heft  de- 
gree,  and  we  can  only  exclaim,  "  Thy  judg- 
ments, O  Lord,  are  a  great  deep  !  and  thy 
ways  are  pall  finding  out  !" 

It  wouldgive  me  the  greatell  pleafure,  if  in 
concluding  this  difcourfe  I  could  fay  any  thing, 
with  refpeft  to  the  propagation  of  chriftian- 
ity,  among  the  original  natives  of  America, 
which  could  be  conftrued  into  a  fulfilment  of 
the  predidion  of  Daniel,  concerning  the  pro- 
grefs  of  knowledge. 

Every  European  nation,  which  pofTefTcs 
any  confiderable  fhnrc  of  the  continent,  has 
made  this  dcfireable  work  a  part  of  their  pro- 
fefTed  defign  ;  ^in  planting  .ind   fettling  the 

countr)-; 


5f        '  A  DISCOURSE  on  th« 

country  ;  and  it  mufl:  be  acknowledged  that 
fomc  very  zealous  aind  well  meant  endeavours 
have  been  made,  by  men  who  had  neither 
wealth  nor  power  in  their  view  ;  but  the  fuc- 
cefs  has  not  been  anfwerable  to  the  goodnefs 
of  the  defign,  nor  to  the  wilhes  of  thofc  who 
have  engaged  in  it.  If  we  furvey  the  whole 
continent,  from  the  firll  difcovery  of  Ameri- 
ca, to  the  prefent  time,  the  number  of  con- 
verts to  chriftianity,  among  the  Indians,  bears 
hut  a  fmall  proportion  to  thofe,  who  have 
been  deflroyed  either  by  war,  by  flavery  or 
hy  fpirituous  liquors.  And,  with  refpe^l  to 
many  of  thofe  who  have  been  called  con- 
verts, it  may  juftly  be  inquired,  whether  any 
thing  more  can  be  faid  in  favour  of  their  con- 
verfion,  than  that  they  have  exchanged  their 
original  fuperftitions,  for  others,  more  glit- 
tering and  refined. 

If  the  truths  of  our  holy  religion  are  to  be 
propagated  among  the  favages,  it  will  become 
us  to  confider,  whether  we  had  not  better  firft 
agree  among  ourfelves,  what  thefe  truths  are. 
For  whilft  they  fee  diverfities  of  opinion  a- 
mong  us,  and  that  fome  of  the  more  zealous 
advocates  of  particular  tenets,  are  endeavour- 
ing to  inftil  the  peculiarities  of  their  refpec- 

tive 


DISCOVERY  or  AMERICA.        $3 

tivc  fefts  among  them,  and  to  prejudice  them 
againfl;  others ;  the  native  fagacity  with  which 
thefe  people  are  endowed  will  lead  them  to 
avoid  confounding  themfelves  with  our  dif- 
tin6lions,  and  to  retain  the  religion  of  their 
anceftors,  till  they  can  find  one,  more  free 
from  perplexity,  than  chriftianity  appears  by 
the  diverfity  of  our  opinions  concerning  it. 

It  is  alfo  worthy  of  confideration,  whether 
the  vicious  lives  and  condu6l  of  our  own  peo- 
ple, and  efpecially  thofe  on  the  frontiers,  with 
whom  the  Indians  are  moft  acquainted,  be 
not  a  great  obfl;ru6lion  to  the  fpreading  of 
divine  knowledge  among  them.  It  is  very 
natural  to  eflimate  the  goodncfs  of  any  reli- 
gion, by  the  influence  which  it  appears  to 
have  on  thofe  who  profefs  it ;  and,  if  they 
are  to  regard  the  condu6l  of  the  people  by 
whom  they  have  been  cheated,  robbed,  and 
murdered,  as  a  fpecimen  of  the  influence  of 
chriflianity  on  the  human  mind,  it  would  be 
a  greater  wonder  that  they  fhould  embrace 
it  than  reje6l  it. 

If  the  chrifl.ian  religion  is  to  be  propagated, 
without  the  afTiRance  of  miracles,   among  the 
laviiges  of  this  continent,  it  muft  be. in  fome 
fuch  manner  as  (he  Moravians  have  attempt- 
ed. 


54  A  DISCOURSE  on  the 

ed.  Thefe  people  feem  to  have  an  art  of  at- 
taching favage  nations  to  their  faith  and  man- 
ners, and  of  forming  them  into  civilized  and 
laborious  fociety,  beyond  any  other  denomi- 
nation of  chnftians  ;  and,  for  the  honour  of 
the  common  caule,  I  cannot  but  wifh  them 
all  that  fupport  and  encouragement  which 
their  zealous  and  benevolent  efforts  deferve. 

It  is  much  to  be  wilhed,  that  the  fpirit  of 
bigotry  and  the  Jhibboletk  of  party  were  to- 
tally abolifhed  ;  that  the  chriflian  religion 
may  appear  in  its  native  fimplicity  and  pu- 
rity, and  that  the  profefTors  of  it  would  diftin- 
guifti  themfelves  by  that  love,  that  meeknefs 
and  gentlenefs  which  marked  the  charaQer 
of  its  author  and  his  primitive  followers.  By 
thefe  marks  all  men  will  know  us  to  be  his 
difciples ;  our  light  will  fo  fhine  before  men, 
that  they  will  fee  our  good  works,  and  glorify 
our  father  who  is  in  heaven. 

Notwithftanding  any  prefent  unfavourable 
appearances,  yet  we  have  the  greateft  reafon 
to  expe6l  that  the  time  will  come  when  knowl- 
edge will  univerfally  prevail ;  when  fpecu- 
lative  truth  will  be  reduced  to  praftice,  and 
men  will  be  led  to  a  devout  acknowledgement 
of  the  only  true  God,   and  of  Jefus   Chrifl 

whor^ 


DISCOVERY  OF  AMERICA.        55 

whom  he  hath  fent,  evidenced  by  a  careful 
obedience  to  the  laws  of  virtue  and  righteouf- 
nefs.  Then  will  "  the  earth  be  full  of  the 
knowledge  of  the  Lord  as  the  waters  cover 
the  fea."  Then  will  be  fulfilled  thofe  fub- 
lime  prediftions  of  the  infpired  Ifaiah.  "  I 
will  bring  thy  feed  from  the  eaft  and  gather 
them  from  the  weft  ;  1  will  fay  to  the  north, 
give  up ;  and  to  the  fouth,  keep  not  back, 
bring  my  fons  from  far  and  my  daughters 
from  the  ends  of  the  earth.  Thy  gates  fhall 
be  open  continually,  they  fliall  not  be  fhut 
day  nor  night;  becaufe  the  abundance  of  the 
fea  (hall  be  converted  to  thee,  the  forces  of 
the  Gentiles  fhall  come  to  thee.  Violence 
fhall  no  more  be  heard  in  thy  land,  wafting 
nor  dcftrudion  within  thy  borders  ;  but  thy 
walls  ftiall  be  falvation  and  thy  gates  praiie. 
Thy  fun  fhall  no  more  go  down,  neither 
fliall  thy  moon  withdraw  itfelf ;  for  the  Lord 
fhall  be  thy  everlafting  light,  and  thy  God 
fhall  be  thy  glory.  Thy  people  alfo  fliall  be 
all  righteous  ;  they  fliall  inherit  the  land  for- 
ever, the  branch  of  my  planting,  the  work  of 
my  hand  that  I  may  be  glorified.  I  the  Lord 
will  haften  it  in  his  time." 


ss 


ODE 

FOR   tHF.   23d  OF   OCTOBER,     1/92. 

Sung  after  the  Difcourfe,  by  Mr.  Re  a  and  afeledt 
ChotTt  accompanied  by  the  Organ, 

I. 

TTTTHEN  form'd  by  GOD's  creating  hand, 
•   '        This  beauteous  fabric  firfl;  appear'd; 
Eternal  Wifdom  gave  command, 
All  Nature  with  attention  heard. 

II. 
"  Here,  Ocean,  roll  thy  fwelling  tide  ; 

*'  Here  fpread  thy  vaft  Atlantic  main  ; 
*'  From  European  eyes  to  hide  [^cign." 

♦'  That  Weftern  World,  which  bounds  thy 

III. 
Whilfl  Ocean  kept  his  facred  charge, 

And  fair  C  o  L  u  M  B I A  lay  conceal'd  ; 
Through  Europe,  Difcord  roam'd  at  large, 

Till  War  had  crimfon'd  every  field. 

IV. 

Black  Sitperjlition's  difmal  night 

Extinguifli'd  Reafons.  golden  ray  ; 

And  Science,  driven  from  the  light, 

beneath  monallic  rubbifh  lay. 

V. 


57 

y. 

Xti^:Crown  and  Mitre,  cloiQ  ally'd,.^  Josv.t:  •» 

Trampled  whole  nations  to  the  duft  5  ,, 
Whilft  Freedom,  wandering  far  and  wide,  ^ 
"And  pure  R£ lig ion y_ quite  were  loft. 

VI. 

Then,  guided  by  th'  Almighty  Hand, 
COLUMBUS  fpread  his  daring  fail  ♦ 

Ocean  receiv'd  a  new  command, 

And  Zephyrs  breath'd  a  gerrtle  gale:' 


;j  /ilT 


VII. 
The  Weftern  World  appear'd  to  viev/^  "^^"^^ 

Her  friendly  arms  extended  wid6  j*"^^'^  ^ 
Then  Freedom  o'er  th'  Atlantic  flewi''^  X"'^ 

With  pure  Rkligioi^  by  her  fide.    -1""^^' 

VII. 

Tyrants  with  mortal  hate  purfu'd  ; 

In  vain  their  fortes  t_hey  employ  ; 
In  vain  the  Serpent  poiifS  his  flood,* 

Thofe  heaven-born  Exiles  to  deftroy. 

IX. 
"  No  weapon  form'd  againft  my  flock 

*'  Shall  profper,"  faith  th'  Almighty  Lord  ; 
"  Their  proudeftthreatenings thou  Ihalt  mock. 

"  For  I  will  be  thy  Ihield  and  fword. 

H  X. 

*  Rev.  xii,   >5, 


X. 

««  Sweet  peace  ahd  "heiv'nly  trttth  (hall  fiiinc 
"  Onfeir  C6^lcjm^ia's  happy  ground  ; 

**  Ifkre  FuEEDOkand  Religion  join, 
"  And  fpread  their  inflaerice  all  trhnndj* 

CHORUS. 
Hail  f  6r EAT  Columbia  !  favour'd  foil ; 
Thy  fields  vvith  plenty  crown  thy  toil  ; 
Thy  (hore;,  the  Ceat  of  growing  wealth  ; 
Thy  clime  the  fource  of  balmy  health. 

From  thee  proceeds  the  virtuous  plan, 
To  vindicate,  the  Rights  of  Man, 
Thy  fame  (hall  fpread  from  pole  to  polc^ 
Whilfl;  everlalliiiig  ages  roll. 


,  0:i\-:i'ri  : 


:AJoii  vfn  :}i:  .■.::..l  iic:: 

ija^  ^Isdli/oriugn^n? 

■     ■   .biowl  hnu  bliidi  >(di  sd  i'h'  I  lol  '* 
.X  H 


53^ 


DISSERTATION    I. 

•  N    THE    CIRCUMNAVIGATION    OF    AFRICA 
BY    THE    ANCIENTS. 

X  HE  authenticity  of  hiftorical  tra- 
ditions on  this  fubjeft  hath  been  quellioned 
by  feveral  writers  ancient  and  modern.  I 
fhall  here  place  in  one  view,  what  evidence 
hath  been  produced  on  both  fides  of  the  quef- 
tion,  as  far  as  I  have  had  opportunity  to  in- 
quire ;  with  fuch  obfervations  as  have  occur- 
red to  me  during  the  inquiry. 

The  firft  navigaiors  of  whom  wc  have  any 
account  were  the  Phenicians,  who  were  Icat- 
tered  along  the  coafts  of  the  Mediterranean 
and  of  the  Red  Sea.  As  early  as  the  days  of 
Mofes,  they  had  extended  their  h<ivi'gation 
teyond  the  pillars  of  Hercules,  on  the  weflern 
coaft  of  Africa,  toward  the  foutli ;  and  as  far 
northward  as  the  ifland  of  Britain^  whence 
they  imported  tin  and  lead,*  which  according 
to  the  univerfal  teftimony  of  the  ancients, 
were  not  then  found  in  any  other  country. 

From 

*  Sec  Numbers,  Chap.  xxxi.  ver.  22. 


4i> 


From  the  accounts  given  in  ancient  hif- 
tory  of  the  expeditions  of  Sefoftris,  King  of 
Egypt,  fojne  have  Been  led  to  conclude,  that 
l^e  fnade  a  difcoy^ry  q^all  the  poafts  qf  Af- 
jica.*  However  thi^  Jpigbt  ^e,  there  is  no 
doubt  that  he  opened,  or  revived  a  commer- 
cial  intercourfe  with  India  and  Ethiopia,  by 
wayof  theRed  Sea.  It  hath alfo  been  thought, 
that  the  voyages  of  the  Phenicians  and  He- 
brews to  Ophir,  in  the  time  of  Solomon,  were 
nothing  more  nor  lefs  than  circumnaviga- 
tions of  Africa.''t.f;.  i.r.^  „.._ 

But.,  leaving  thefe  for  the  prefent  in  tjie 
region  of  conje6lure  ;  the  earliefl  regulAr  ac- 
count which  we  have,^  of  any  voj'age  round 
the  continent  of  Africa,  is  th2,t  performed  by 
prder  of  Necho,  King  of  Egypt,  and  recorded 
hy  Herodotus;  the  moft  ancient  hiilorian, 
except  th,e  facred, writers,  whofe  works  havp 
come  down  tp  our  tim^.  His  charaQ£r  as  ^ 
hiftorian  is^  "candid  \n  his  acknowledgment 
of  what  is  uncertain,  and  abfolute  when  he 
fpeaks  of  what  he  knows."  The  date  of  N9- 
cho's  r^i^n  is  fixed  by  RoHin  616  years  before 
Chrift.  ,  The  date  of  I^erodptus's  hiflory  is 

placed 

*  Forfler's  Hiflory  of  Voyages  and  Difcoyerie^, 
page  7.  i  Ibid. 


placed  by  Dufrefnoy  in  the  tliird  year  of  the 
83d  Olympiad  anfwering  to  446  years  before 
Chrift.  So  that  he  muft  hax'e  penned  his  nar- 
ration of  this  voyage,  in  lefs  than  two  cen- 
turies after  it  was  performed.  I  fhail  give 
his  account  at  large,  in  a  literal  tranflation, 
l"rom  the  Geneva  Edition  of  his  work,  in 
Greek  and  Latin,  by  Stcphanus.*  In  de- 
fcribingthefcvcral  great  divifions  of  the  earth, 
he  fpcaks  thus  : 

"  I  wonder  at  thofe  who  have  divided  and 
diflinguifhcd  Libyaj't  Afia  and  Europe;  be- 
tween which  there  is  not  a  little  diflPerencc. 
If  indeed  Europe  agrees  with  the  others  iii 
length,  yet  in  breadth  it  does  not  feem  to  me, 
worthy  to  be  copipared.  For  Libya  fhews  it- 
fe!f  to  he  fiirroundcd  by  the  fca.  except  where  it 
joins  to  Afia.  Necos,  King  of  the  Egyptians, 
being  the  firfl  of  thofe,  whom  we  know,  to 
demonflrate  it.  After  he  had  defifled  from 
digging  a  ditch  from  the  Nile  to  the  Arabic 
gulf  [m  which  work  above  twenty  thoufand 
Egyptians  perifhed  ;  he  betook  himCelf  to 
raifing  armies  and   building  lliips,  partly  in 

the 

*  Lib.  iv.  Cap.  42. 

+  Libya  is  the  name  by  which  tlie  whole  continent 
qI  Africa  was  called  bv  the  Greeks. 


the  north  fea*  and  partly  in  the  Arabian  gulf, 
at  the  Red  Sea,  of  which  they  yet  fhow  fome 
remains. t]  He  fent  certain  Phenicians  ia 
Ihips,  commanding  them,  that  having  pafled 
the  pillars  of  Hercules,  they  fhould  penetrate 
the  north  fea,  and  fo  return  to  Egypt.  The 
Phenicians  therefore  loofing  from  the  Red  Sea, 
went  awa,y  into  the  fouthern  fea,  and,  dire6t- 
ang  their  fhips  to  land,  made  a  feed  time,  that 
when  autumn  fhould  come,  they  might  ex- 
pe6t  a  harvefl,  and  might  afliduoufly  coafl 
Libya.  Then,  having  gathered  the  harvefl, 
they  failed. J  ThuSj  two  years  being  con- 
fumed  ;  in  the  third  year,  coming  round  the 
pillars  of  HerculeSj,  they  returned  to  Egypt ; 
reporting  things  which  with  mp  have  no 
credit,  but  may  pprhaps  with  others,  that  iri 
Jailing^  round  Libya  they. had  the  fun  on  the  right 
kaiid.\     In  this  manner  it  was  firfl  known.   ' 

"  In 

*  By  the  north  fea  is  meant  the  Mediterranean, 
which  lies  north  of  Egypt.  ^ 

f  Lib.  ii.  Cap.  48, 

%  "Into  whatever  part  of  Libya  fcamen  came,  tbey 
waited  for  harveft,  and  when  they  had  reaped,  they 
loofed  from  the  diore."  (Note  of  Stephanus.) 

§  i.  e.  They  being  in  the  fouthern  hemifphere  and 
failing  to  the.weft.ward,  had  the  fun  to  the  right  hand 
cr  to  the  northward. 


"  in  the  fecond  place,  there  have  been 
Carthaginians,  who  havfe  f^id,  that  a  certairi 
Satafpes,  fon  of  Teafpis,  a  man  of  the  Acha- 
jnenides  did  not  fail  roiitid  Libya,  when  he 
was  fent ;  but  being  deterred  by  the  length  of 
the  navigation  and  the  folitude  of  the  country 
returned  home,  having  Hot  fulfilled   the   la- 
bour which  his  mother  enjoined  him.     For 
he  had  violated  a  virgin   daughter  of  Zopy- 
taSf   the  fon   of   Megabyfus ;  and   for    that 
caufe,  being  by  Xerxes  condemned  to  be  cru- 
cified, his  mother,  who  was  filler  to  Darius, 
liberated  him  ;  becaufe  he  faid,  he  had  rath- 
er impofe  on  himfelf  that  piinifhment,  than 
fubmit  to  the  King's  command.     Wherefore 
it  became  neceffary  for  him  to  fail  round  all 
Libya,  till  he  fhould   come    to  the  Arabian 
Gulf.     Xerxes  confentirig   to    this,  Satafpes 
went  into  Egypt,  and,  having  there   taken  a 
fhip  and  companions,  failed  to  the  pillars   of 
Hercules.     Having  paffed  them,  and  having 
doubled  the  promontory  of  Libya  called  Sy- 
loes,*  he  kept  a  fouthern   courfe.     Having 
traverfed  much  of  the  fea  in  many  months, 

and 

*  Now  called  Cape  Bojador  in  the  26th  degree  of 
north  latitude. 


and  finding  much  more  time  tieceiLry,  iie 
turned  about  and  came  back  to  Egypt.  Re- 
turning to  Xerjces,  he  reported,  that  m  vifit- 
ing  the  remoteft  coafts,  he  had  fcen  fmall 
men,  clothed  in  Phenician  garments ;  who 
at  the  approach  of  his  ihips,  fled  to  the  moun-. 
tains  and  left  their  villages  ^  which  he  enter- 
ed, and  took  nothing  from  them  but  cattle- 
He  gave  this  rcafon  for  not  having  failed 
round  Libya,  that  his  fhip  could  fa^il  no  far- 
ther ;  but  was  flopped.  Xerxes  did  not  be- 
lieve him,  and  bccaufe  he  had  not  performed 
his  engagement,  ordered  him  to  undergo  hLi, 
deflined  punifhment." 

To  the  authenticity  of  this  circvimnaviga- 
tion  of  the  African  continent,  the  following 
objedions  have  been  made. 

Firft,  it  is  faid  that  "  the  vefTcls  which  the 
ancients  employed,  were  fo  fmall  as  not  to 
afiFord  flowage  for  provifions,  fufficient  to 
fubfifl  a  crew  during  a  long  voyage." 

Secondly,  '•'  their  conflrutlion  was  fuch  . 
that  they  could  fcldom  venture  to  depart  far 
from  land,  and  their  mode  of  fteering  along 
the  coafl  was  fo  circuitous  and  flow,  that  we 
may  pronounce  a  voyage  from  the  Mediter- 
ranean to  India,  by  the  Cape  of  Good  Hop6, 

to 


ii 

IQ  h^ive  been  an  undertaking  beyond  thqr 
power  to  accomplifh,  in  fuch  a  manner  as  to 
render  it  in  any  degree  fubfervient  to  com* 
roerce.  To  this  decifion,  the  account  pre- 
ferved  by  Herodotus  of  a  voyage  performed 
by  fome  Pheuician  ibips  employed  by  the 
King  of  Egypt,  can  hardly  be  coniidered  as^ 
repugnant."* 

I  have  chofen  to  confide?:  botb  tbefe  objec- 
tions together,  becaufe  that  each  one  helps  tp, 
deftroy  the  other/  For  if  the  veffqls  werp  fo. 
fmall,  as  not  to  contain  provifions  for  a  long 
voyage,  this  was  one  reafon  for  the  navigators 
to  keep  their  courfe  near  the  land ;  that  they 
might  find  water  fruits,  game  and  cattle  on  thq| 
fbore,  as  well  as  filh  on  the  fhoals  and  rocks 
near  the  coaft,  for  their  fubfiftence.  And  if  it 
was  their  defign  to  keep  near  the  land,  fou 
the  fake  of  difcovery,  fmall  v^flels  weije  })eft 

adapted 

*  Robertfon's  India,  p,  175,  American  edition. 
The  objeftionstakenfromthislearned  author  w^rejiot 
made  direfllyagainft  the  voyage  mentioned  by  Hero- 
dotus ;  but  rather  againft  the  pofTibility  of  a  parfage  tO 
^ndia  by  way  of  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  and  round  the  Af^ 
rican  continent.  However,  as  he  brings  this  voyage  into 
view  in  the  fame  argument,  and  fpealcs  of  it  dubiouf- 
ly,  it  is  conceived  that  his  fentiments  are  BOtmifrep- 
refentcd  in  the  abovjc quotation*.  ;iiijCJ 

I 


«g 


adapted  to  the  purpbfe  j  becaufe  they  could 
^i(s  over  fhoals  atid  through  fmall  openings, 
between  iflands  and  rocks,  which  'ire  general- 
ly lituate  near  the  cdafts  of  great  continents. 
Befides,  if  the  velTels  were  fmair  they  could 
Carry  but  fniall  crews,  who  would  not  require 
very  large  quantities  of  provifion.  - 

But  Herodotus  has  helped  us  to  folve  the 
difficulty  refpeOiirig  jirovifiohs,  in  a  manner 
perfe6lly  agreeable  t'd' the  practice  of'antiquii 
ty,  though  unknown  to  modern  navigators^ 
Tliey  weht  oii'ithore  and  fowed  corn,  and 
when  ifwas  ripe  gathered  the  harveft.  This 
enables'  us  to  account  for  two  circumftances 
attending  the  voyage  of  Necho  ;  the  length 
of  time  employed,  and  ^he -fupply  of  pio- 
vilion,  at  lead  of  bread,  confumed  in  it. 
~'^Nor  was  this  fowing  and  reaping  any  lof« 
of  time  ;  for  the  monfoons  in  the  Indian 
ecean  would  not  permit  them  to  proceed  any 
fafte?-  A  Ihip  failing  from  the  Red  Sea  with 
the  N.  E.'  monfoon,  in  the  fummer  or  au- 
tumn, would  meet  with  the  S.W.  monibon, 
inf  the  beginning  of »  December,;  which  niuft 
have  detained  her  in  fome  of  thfe  harbours,  on 
the  eallern  coafl  of  Africa,  till, tfe next  April. 
During  this  time  in  that  w^rm  cHinate,  corn 

f:  might 


might  be  fown  and  reaped;  and  any  ptbe^ 
articles,  either  of  provifion  or  merchandif<rj 
might  be  taken  on  board.  Then  the  N.  E. 
monfoon  vvould  carry  her  to  the  fouthem, 
parts  of  Africa,  into  the  region  of  variable 
winds.  This  regular  courfe  and  changing,  of 
the  monfoons  was  familiarly  known  to  thje 
navigators  of  Solomon's  iliips,  and  wa^.tbe 
caufe .  of  thfsir  fpendiug,  tliree  years,  i^,th^ 
voyage  to  and  from  Ophir.  "In  going  and 
returning,  they  changed  the  mor^oon  fix 
times,  which  made  thirty  fix  months.^;,  Thiejf 
needed  no  longer  time  to  complete  the.vfpyage^ 
and  they  could  not  perform  it  in  lefs.'"t  ,; 
'.  It  is  not  pleaded,  that  the  voyage  of  Nec;ho 
was  undertaken  for  the  fake  of  commerce  ;  or 
if  the  authenticity  of  it  were  efbbliflred,  that 
it  would  prove  the  pra6licabiJity  of  a  voyage 
from  the  Mediterranean  to  India,  round  the 
Cape  of  Good  Hope,  by  the  veffels  then  in 
ufe,  and  the  nautical  Ikill  then  acquired. 
The  voyage  of  which  Herodotus  fpeaks  might 
have  been  a  voyage  of  dii'covery  ;  fuch  an 
one  as  was  perfeQly  agreeable  to  the  genius  of 
the  people  by  whom  it  was  performed,  and 
of  the  prince,  by  whole  order  and  at  whofe 

' :- .  '.  ..  .  c-^penfe 

t  Bruce's  Travels-r^B.  il.  chap,  iv. 


fH 


expfenfe  It  was  untSertateft.  "  Tbe  progrefs 
of  the  Phenicians  and  Carthaginians,  in  their 
knowledge  of  the  gl^be,  was  not  owing  en- 
fi]fdy  to  the  defire  of  extending  their  trade 
from  one  country  to  another.  Commerce 
was  followed  by  its  ufual  effefts,  among  both 
thofe  people.  It  awakened  curiofity,  enlarg- 
ed the  ideas  and  defires  of  men,  and  incited 
them  to  bold  enterpriles.  Voyages  were  un« 
dertaken,  the  fole  objeft  of  which  was  to  dif^ 
cover  new  countries  and  to  explore  vnknownfeas,"* 
Tbe  knowledge  acquired  in  thefe  voyages  of 
difcovery  might  afterward  be  fubfervient  to 
commerce  ;  and  though  the  Phenicians  niigtit 
not  think  it  convenient,  to  circumnavigate  Af- 
rica, more  than  once,  yet  that  they  carried  on 
^  commercial  intercoutfe  with  different  parts 
ctf  that  country,  and  particularly  with  places 
iituate  on  the  eaftern  coaft,  in  the  Indiail 
ocean,  we  have  evidence  from  the  facred  wiut*- 
ings/r  In  the  reigA  of  Solomon  *'  blie  king's 
-ftips  with  the  fervants  of  Hiram  and  the  navy 
of  Tharftiifh  every  three  years  brought  ivory, t 
apes  and  peacocks,  befides  filver  and  the  gold 
of  Opkir,"  which  is  with  great  reafon  fuppofed 

to 

*  Robertfon's  America — Vol.  I.  p.  ii,  4th  edit. 
+  2  Chron.  viii.  18.  ix.  21. 


to  be  the  •ountiy  now  called  SofaU  on  the 
cafterh  coift  of  Africa,  in  the  fouthern  hem- 
isphere ;  as  tlie  learned  Bruce,  in  his  late  book 
of  travek,  has^  fatisfaiftarily  |)rovedk 

The  J)rophet  Ezekiel,  who  wgs  contempo- 
rary with  Necho,  King  of  Egypt,  in  the  ac- 
count which  he  give:i  of  the  inerchandife  of 
Tyre,  enumerates  feveral  commodities,  which 
it  is  well  known  belong  to  Africa,  "  horns  of 
itory  and  ebony,  and  the  perions  of  men/** 
We  may  form  feme  idea  of  the  ftrength  and 
materials  of  the  (hips  of  the  Tyrians,  and  of 
their  fkill  in  navigation,  from  the  following 
paffages  in  his  apoftrophe  to  Tyrus.  "  They 
have  made  all  thy  fhip-boards  of  fir  trees  of 
Senir  ;  they  have  taken  cedars  of  Lebanon  to 
make  mafts  for  thee  ;  of  the  oaks  of  Bafhan 
have  they  made  thine  oars.  Thy  wife  men, 
O  Tyi'Uiy,  were  thy  pilots.  The  ancients  of 
Oebal,  the  u'ile  men  thereof  were  thy  calkers. 
The  ihips  of  Tharfhifli  did  fing  of  thee  ;  thou 
wall  replenifhed  and  made  very  glorious  in 
the  midfl  of  the  Teas  ;  thy  rowers  have  brought 
thee  into  great  waters."  Though  we  have 
no  particular  defcription  of  the  lire  or  model 
of  their  ihips;  yet  they  certainly  had  mafts  and 

fails 

*  Ezckiel,  chap,  .xxvii.  ver.  13,  jj. 


70 


fails  and  oars ;  their  pilots  and  calkers  were: 
wife  men,  and  they  were  not  afraid  to  fail  in 
great  waters,  by  whi<ih  h  probably  meant  the 
ocean,  in  diftinftion  from  the  Mediterranean. 
'*-^Of  the  form  and  ftrufture  of  the  Grecian 
vcffels  we  have  a  more  particular  knowledge.-^ 
*'  They  were  of  inconfiderable  burden,  and 
moftly  without  decks.  .  They  had  only  one 
mad; iartd  were  ftiangcrs  to  the  ufe  of  an-r 
chors."*  But  then  it  muft  be  remembered, 
that  *'  the  Phenicians,  v/ho  infli'u6led  the 
Greeks  in  other  ufeful  arts,  did  not  communi- 
cate to  them  that  extenfive  knowledge  of  nav- 
jgation,  which  they  themfelves  poffeffcd/'t 
We  may  hence  conclude  that  thefhips  of  the 
Phenicians  were  much  fuperior  to  the  Grecian 
Veffels  ;  thatthey  were  fitted  with  mafts  ;  fails 
Sand  oars,  arid '  with  expert  pilots.' '  We  have 
then  no  evidence  from -the  ftruOiure  of  their 
veffels  or  their  mode  of  failirrg,  to  warrant  a 
doubt  of  the  ability  of  their  fhips  or  Teamen, 
to  perform  a  voyage  round  the  continent  of 
Africa  in  three  years. 

To  an   European  theorift  fuch  a  voyage 
may  feem  lefs  praflicable  than  to  an  AmeH- 

can. 

*  Robertfon's  America — Vol.  I.  p.  15. 

t  Il>icl.  p    14. 


It 

can.'    The  Europeans  have  ufually  employed 
jion<i  but  (hips  of  great  burden,  in  their  trade 
to  India  and  China  ;  but  fince  the  Ameri- 
cans-' have  vifited  thofe  countries,  floops  of 
fifty  or  fixty  tons  have  failed  round  the  Cape 
of  Good  Hope  to  China,  and  round  Cape 
Horn    to  the  north  we  fl   coaft  of    America, 
and  acrofs  the  north  Pacific  Ocean.     If  any 
doubt  can  yet  remain,  it  may  be  entirely  re- 
moved by  the  rccolleftion  of  a  voyage  per- 
formed in  the  year  1789,  by  Lieutenant  ^\\^\ 
of  the  JBritifli  navy  ;  who,  being  turned  adrift 
by  his  mutinous  crew,  traverfed  the  foutb  Pa- 
cific Ocean,  above  twelve  hundred  leagues,  in 
a  boat  of  twenty  three  feet  long,  without  a 
deck,  in  much  flormy  weather,  with  fcanty 
provifions  ;  and  having  paflfed  many  danger- 
ous rocks  and  (heals,  among  unknown  iflands, 
arrived  in  forty  one  days  at  a   Dutch  fettle- 
ment   in    the  Moluccas.*      The    objedions 
then  againft  the  reality  of  Necho's  voyage, 
from  the   fize  and  ftrufture  of  the    Pheni- 
cian  veflTcls,  and  the  want  of  provifion  are 
not  fo  formidable  on  examination  as  at  the 
firft  appearance, 

A  third 
*  See  the  printed  narrative  by  Lieut.  Bligh. 


7« 

A  third  objeftion  againft  the  credibility  pf 
this  early  circumnavigation  is,  th4i:  "  feveral 
writers  of  the  greateft  eminence  among  thQ 
ancients,  and  Bioft  diftinguifted  for  their 
knowledge  of  geography,  regarded  this  ac» 
cc^unt  rather  as  an  amufing  tale,  than  the  hifr 
tory  of  A  real  tranfa6lion  ;   and,  either  enter- 
tained doubts  concerning  the  ppflibility  pf 
failinground  Africa,  or  abfoluteiy  denied  jt."^ 
That  the  Roman  geographer^  and  hiflorians 
did  doubt  and  difbelieve  the  Hory  is  very  cvt 
ident ;  and  the  caufes  are  not  far  to  be  fought. 
The  firft  was  the  jealoufyof  the  Phenicir 
ans-     *^'  Whatever  a<g:quaintance  with  the  re- 
mote regions  .of  the  «arth  the  Phenician?  Pf 
Carthaginians  acquired,  wa^  concealed  from 
the  reft  of  manlQind  with  a  mercantile  jealoufy. 
Every  thing  relative  to  the  courfe.of  naviga- 
tion was  a  fecret  of  ilate  as  well  as  a  my  fiery 
of  trade,     E>xtraordhiary  fa6ls   are  recorded 
concerning  their  Solicitude  to  prevent  other 
nations  from  penetrating  into  what  they  wifli". 
cd  fhould  remain  undivulged."t     One   of 
tbefe  extraordinary  fafts  is  thus  related  by 
Strabo.     The  Romans  being  defirous  to  dif- 

cover 

*  Robertfon'slpdia,  p.  175. 

f  Robertfon's  America,  vol.  I.  p.  13. 


73 

cdver  the  places,  whence  the  Carthaginians 
fetched  tin  and  amber  "  fent  a  vcfTel,  wi:h 
orders  to  fail  in  the  wake  of  a  Phenician  vef- 
fel.  This  being  obferved  by  the  Carthagi- , 
nian,  he  purpofely  ra,n  his  vcffel  among  rocks 
and  fand  banks  ;  fo  that  it  was  loft,  together 
with  that  of  the  inquifitive  Roman.  The 
patriotic  commander  of  the  former  was  in- 
demnified for  his  lofs  by  his  country."* 

A  fccond  rcafon  was  the  pride  of  the  Ro- 
mans. If,  as  Pope  tells  us, 
"  With  hoiieft  fcorn  the  firft  fam'd  Cato  view'd 
"  Rome learningarts  fromGreece  whom  flic  fubdu'd ;" 
the  fame  pride  would  make  their  wife  men 
fcorn  to  learn  geography  or  navigation,  theo- 
retically, from  thote  who  were  beft  able  to 
teach  them.  It  is  acknowledged  that  the 
Romans  "  did  not  imbite  that  commercial 
fpirit  and  ardor  for  difcovery  vvhich  diftiti- 
guifhed  their  rivals. "t  It  mull  alfo  be  ob- 
ferved, (hat  there  was  but  little  intercourfe 
between  them  ;  and  that  the  Carthaginian 5 
were  deficient  in  thofe  fcierices  for  which  the 

Romans 

*  Former's  Hiftory  of  Voyages  and  Difcoveric^, 
chap.  I. 

t  Robcrtfon's  America,   vol,  I.  p.  14. 

K 


74 

Romans  were  famous.  Among,  the  Pheni- 
cians  and  Carthaginians,  the  ftudyandknowl* 
edge  of  their  youth  were  confined  to  writing, 
arithmetic  and  mercantile  accounts  j  whilft 
polite  literature,  hi  (lory  and  philofophy  were 
in  little  repute ;  and  by  a  law  of  Carthage, 
the  ftudy  of  the  Greek  language  was  prohib- 
ited ;  left  any  communication  ftiould  be  car-^ 
ried  on  with  their  enemies.* 

A  third  reafon  was  the  opinion  which  the 
wifeft  men  among  the  Romans  had  formed, 
and  to  which  they  obftinately  adhered,  con- 
cerning the  five  zones,  and  the  impoflibility 
of  paffing  from  one  hemifphere  to  the  other, 
bepaufe  of  the  torrid  zone  lying  between.' 
This  do6lrine  of  the  zones  is  fo  fiilly  repre-" 
fetited  by  Dr.  Robertfont  that  I  need  only 
refei*  the  reader  to  what  he  has  written  on  the 
fubjeft.  ' 

,.  But  notwithftan(Jing  the  doubts  and  the 
infidelity  of  the  Roman  Philofophers,  and 
tl^e  gfreat  deference  paid  to  them  by  this  learn- 
ed and.  cautious  inquirer ;  there  is  one  cir- 
cumllance  which  has  almojl  convinced  him  of 

the 

*  RoUin's  Ancient  Hiftory,  book  11.  part  I.  feftw  7. 
t  Robertfon's  America,  vol.  I,  note  8. 


3?6 

the  reality  of  Necho's  voyage,  as  related  by 
Herodotus.  It  is  this,  that  the  Phenicians, 
in  failing  round  Africa,  "  had  the  fun  on  their 
right  hand  ;"  which  Herodotus,  with  his  ufu- 
al  modefty  and  candor  fays,  "  with  me  has  no 
credit,  though  it  may  with  others."  On  this 
the  Do6lorjudicioufly  remarks,  "Thefcicnce 
of  aflronomy  was  in  that  early  period  fo  im- 
perfedl,  that  it  was  by  experience  only,  that  the 
Phenicians  could  come  at  the  knowledge  of 
this  faft ;  they  durft  not,  without  this,  have  ven- 
tured to  aifert  what  would  have  appeared  to 
be  an  improbable  fitlion."*  Indeed  if  they 
had  not  known  it  by  experience,  there  is  not 
the  leail  conceivable  reafon  for  their  invent- 
ing fuch  a  report  ;  nor  even  for  the  entrance 
of  fuch  an  idea  into  their  imagination.  The 
modeft  doubt  of  Herodotus  is  another  arsu- 
ment  in  favour  of  the  truth-and  genuinenefs 
of  it ;  for  as  he  had  no  experience  to  guide 
him,  and  the  idea  was  new,  it  was  very  prop- 
er for  him  to  hefitale  in  admitting  it,  thougli 
he  fhowed  his  impartiality  by  inferting  it  in 
his  relation. 

So  much  for  the  voyage  performed  by  the 
Phenicians  under  the  orders  of  Necho.  which 

is 
*  Robertfon's  India,  note  ^4. 


zi- 

is  the  Jirjl  proof  produced  by  Herodotus  of 
his  pofition  that  "  Libya  is  furrounded  by 
the  fea,  except  where  it  joins  Alia." 

His  fecond  proof  is  not  fo  conclufive,  por 
the  defign  of  his  introducing  it  fo  obvious. 
It  is  the  relation  of  a  voyage  undertaken  by 
Satafpes  a  Perfian,  whofe  puniftiment  was 
commuted  frotii  crucifixion  to  failing  round 
Libya  ;  which  voyage  he  began,  but  returned 
by  the  fame  route,  not  having  completed  it. 
The  reafon  which  he  gave  for  returning  was, 
that  "  his  fhip  was  flopped  and  could  fail  no 
farther,"  which  his  fovereign  did  not  believe, 
and  therefore  put  him  to  death,  to  which  he 
had  before  been  condemned. 

The  only  evidence  which  this  flory  can  af- 
ford is,  that  the  circumnavigation  of  the  Af- 
rican continent  was,  at  that  time,  thought 
prafticable.'  Satafpes  thought  fo,  or  he  would 
not  have  propofed  it  to  his  fovereign  ;  and 
Xerxes  thought  fo,  or  he  would  not  have  dif- 
believed  the  ftory  of  the  fhip  being  flopped  ; 
by  whidi  exprcffion  was  meant  that  the  fea 
was  no  farther  navigable,  by  reafon  of  land. 

The  exaft  date  of  this  voyage  is  not  afcer- 
^aincd ;   but  as  Xerxes  ireigned  twelve  years, 

and 


n 

and  died  in  the  year  473  before  Chrift,  it 
could  not  have  been  much  more  than  thirty- 
years,  preceding  the  time  when  Herodotus 
pubUflied  his  hiftory. 

The  voyage  of  Hanno  the  Carthaginian,  h 
thus  briefly  mentioned  by  Pliny.     "  In  the 
flouriftiing  flate  of  Carthage,  Hanno  having 
failed  round  from  Gades  j^CadizJ  to  the  bord- 
er of  Arabia,  committed  to  writing  an  account 
of  his  voyage ;  as  did  Plimilco,  who  was  at  the 
fame  time  fent  to  difcover  the  extreme   parts 
of  Europe."*     The  chara6ler  of  Pliny,  as  a 
hiflorian  is,  that   "  he  colle6led  from  all   au- 
thors, good  and  bad,  who  had  written  before 
him  ;  and  that  his  work  is  a  mixture  of  truth 
and  error,   which  it  '\^  difficult  to  feparate." 
An  inflance   in   confirmation  of  this  remark 
occurs  in  this  very  chapter  ;    where  he  fpcaks 
of  feme    merchants,  (ailing  from  India,    and 
thrown  by  a  tempcft,  on  \.\\^  coaft  of  Germa- 
ny.    He  alfo  mentions  a  voyage,  made  bv 
Eudoxus  ;    from  the  Arabian  gulf  to  Gades, 
and  another  of  Coelius  Antipatcr  from  Spain 
to  Ethiopia. 

Qf  thefe  voyages,  that  of  Hanno  is  beft  au- 
thenticated.    He  failed  from  Carthage  with 

fixty 
*  Pliny's  Natural  Hiftoiy,  lib.  2,  cap.  ^-j. 


iixty  gallics,  caeh  carrying  fifty  oars,  having 
on  board  thirty  thoufand  men  and  women, 
■with  provifions  and  articles  of  trafl&c.  The 
deCgn  of  this  equipment  was  to  plant  colo- 
Jiies  along  the  weft ern  fliore  of  Africa,  which 
the  Carthaginians,  from  priority  of  difcove- 
,fy,- and  from  its  contiguity  to  their  territory, 
confidered  as  their  own  dominion.  Hanno 
was  abfcnt  five  years,  on  this  coloni2ing  ex- 
pedition ;  but  there  is  no  certainty  of  his 
having  proceeded  any  farther  fouthward, 
than  the  Bay  of  Benin,  in  the  eighth  degree 
of  north  latitude.  A  fragment  of  his  journal, 
which  at  his  return  he  depofited  in  the  temple 
of  Saturn,  at  Carthage,  is  now  extant;  and 
though  it  has  been  treated  as  fabulous  by 
feveral  authors,  ancient  and  modern,  yet  its 
authenticity  has  been  vindicated  by  M.  Bou- 
gainville, in  the  26th  volume  of  the  Memoirs 
of  the  Royal  Academy  of  Infcriptions  and 
Belles  Lettres  ;  where  a  French  tranflation  of 
it  is  given  from  the  Greek,  into  which  Ian- 
<rua?c  it  was  rendered  from  the  original  Punic. 
Concerning  the  voyage  of  Eudoxus,  the  fol- 
lowing account  is  given  by  Bruce.*     He  was 

fent 

*  Travels,  book  II.  chap.  V.  The  voyage  of 
EudoK^s  was  originally  written  by  Pojidonius,  but  I 
have  not  met  wi:h  that  author. 


fent  by  Ptolemy  Euerg^tes,  as  an  ambaflador 
to  Itidfa,  to  remove  the  bad  eflfefts  of  the. 
King's  conduct:  in  the  beginning  of  his^  reign, 
who  had  extorted  contributions   from  mer- 
chants of  that  and  other  trading  countric&r 
Eudoxus  returned  after  the  King's  death,  and. 
was  wrecked  on  the  coaft  of  Ethiopia  ;  where, 
he  difcovered  the  prow  of  a  £hip,  which  had 
fuffered  the  fame  fate.     It  was  the  figure  of  a.' 
horfe,  and  the  failors,  who  had  been  employ- 
ed in.  European  voyages,  knew  this  to  have 
been  part  of  one  of  thofe  vefiels,  which  traded/ 
on  the  Atlantic  ocean  ;  of  which  trade  Gades. 
was  the  principal  port.     This  circumQance 
amounted  to  a  proof,  thai'  there  was  a  paUage 
round  Africa,  from  the  Indian  to  the  Atlan- 
tic ocean.     The  difcovery  was  of  no  greater 
importance  to  any  perfon,  than  to  Eudoxus 
himfelf ;  for,  fome  time  afterward,  falling  un- 
der the  difpleafure  of  Ptelemy  Lathyrus,  and 
being  in  danger  of  his  life,  he  fled  ;  and  em- 
barking on  the  Red  Sea,  failed  round  Africa 
and  came  to  Gades. 

This  voyage  of  Eudoxus  was  treated  as  a 
fable  by  Strabo,  the  Roman  geographer,  who 
wrote  about  a  century  and  a  half  after  the 

time 


8o 

time  irhen  it  is  faid  to  have  beeu  performed. 
The  true  caufe  of  the  incredulity  of  him  and 
of  other  Roman  authors  in  refpe^l;  to  thefe 
voyages  and  difcoveries,  was  the  do6liine  of 
the  ^ones,  to  which  they  inflexibly  adhered, 
and  which  efFedually  precluded  all  convic- 
tion; 

•  Thefe  are  all  the  evidences  which  I  have 
had  opportunity  to  examine  refpeding  the 
qucftion  of  the  circumnavigation  of  Africa,* 
and  upon  the  whole  there  appears  to  be  this 
peculiarity  attending  the  fubjc6l,  that  it  was 
believed  by  thofe  who  lived  neareft  to  the 
time  when  the  voyage  of  Necho  is  faid  to 
have  been  made  ;  amd,  that  in  proportion  to 
thedillance  of  time  afterward,  it  was  doubted, 
difbclieved  and  denied  ;  till  its  credibility 
was  eftablilhed  beyond  all  doubt  by  the  Por- 
tuguefe  adventurers  in  the  fifteenth  century. 

*-Dr.  FoRSTER.in  bis  hi  (lory  of  Voyages  and  Dif-^ 
coveiies  (chap.  1)  refers  to  three.  German  authors, 
Gesner.Schlozer  and  Michaelis,  who  have 
written  on  this  fubjcfl,  and  obfervcs,  that  "  the  cir- 
cumnavigation of  Africa  by  the  Pheniciansand  Egyp- 
tians is  proved  almoft  to  a  demonftration." 


APPENDIX 


8< 

APPENDIX 

T    O 

DISSERTATION    I. 

The  following  Table  exhibits  a  Chronological  De- 
tail of  FaBs  and  Opinions,  relative  to  the. 
circunmavigation  of  Af&ic a. 

Years  be- 
fore Chriji. 

^^^  NeCHO  began  to  reign  in  Egypt, 
and  reigned  16  years.  Rollin^ 
In  his  reign  the  Phenicians  failed 
round  Africa  from  the  Red  Sea 
to  the  pillars  of  Hercules,  and 
returned  to  Egypt  in  three  years, 

Herodotus* 
588     Ezekiel  prophefied  againfl  Tyre. 

Old  Teflament. 

485     Xerxes  began  to  reign  in   Perfia,   and 

reigned  twelve  yeaVs.  Rollin. 

In  his  reign  Satafpes  failed  to  the  vvefl- 

crn  coaft  of  Africa,  and  returned 

to  Egypt.  Herodotus, 

446     Herodotus  publiflied  his  hiftory  of  the 

Olympic  games.  Dufrcfnoy, 

445 A  Voyage   of  Hanno,    the   Carthaginian 

to    V  to  colonize  the  weftern  coaft  of 

440  J  Africa,  completed  in  five   years. 

L  Bochart^ 


82 


350  Ariftotle  ellabliflied  the  do£lrIne  of  the 
five  zones,  which  had  been  be- 
fore taught  by  Parmenides. 

Dufrefnoy  and  Rob&rtjon. 

152  Polybius  doubted  whether  Africa  were 
a  continent  extending  to  the 
fouth,  or  a  peniofula  furrounded 
by  the  fea,  excepting  where  it  was 
known  to  be  united  with  Afia. 

Hamptons  Tran/lation. 

ii6     Ptolemy  Lathyrus,  began  to  reign  in 

Egypt,  and  reigned  ten  years. 

Dufrefnoy. 

In  his  reign,  is  placed,  the  voyage  of 

Eudoxus  from  the  Red  Sea,  round 

Africa  to  Cadiz.  Bruce, 

55     Cicero  delivered  the  doftrine  of  the  five 

zones,  of  which  two  only  were 

habitable,  the  middle  zone  being 

fcorched  with  the  fun. 

Somnium  Scipionis. 

Tears  afitr 
Chrljl. 

2g  Strabo  profefled  to  know  nothing  with 
certainty  refpefting  the  fouthern 
parts  of  Africa,  and  treated  the 

voyage  of  Eudoxus  as  a  fable. 

Straho, 

74. 


J3 

74  PJiny  denied  any  communication  be- 
tween the  northern  and  fouthern 
temperate  zones ;  but  fpake  of 
the  voyages  of  Hanno,  Eudoxus 
and  others.  ,        Pliny. 

Sli  Ptolemy  the  philofopher,  fuppofed  Af- 
rica not  to  be  furrounded  by  the 
fea ;  but  to  extend  in  its  breadth 
eaftwardly,  and  to  be  joined  to 
India.  Ptolemy, 

The  opinions  of  thefe  philofophers 
were  implicitly  believed  for  the 
fucceeding  twelve  centuries. 

1497  Vafquez  de  Gama  paCTed  the  fouthern 
promontory  of  Africa,  on  his 
voyage  to  India.  Robert/on, 


»5 


DISSERTATION    II. 

An  EXAMINATION   OF  THE  PRETENSIONS  OF 

MARTIN  BEHAIM,  to  a  discovery 
OF  America, PRIOR  to  that  of  CHRIS- 
TOPHER COLUMBUS. 

OO  much  has  already  been  well  writ- 
ten on  this  fubjeft  by  Dr.  Robertson,  that 
I  jQiould  not  have  thought  of  adding  any  thing 
to  it ;  had  not  a  Memoir  appeared  in  the  fec- 
ond  volume  of  the  Tranfa6tions  of  the  Ameri- 
can Philofophical  Society*  at  Philadelphia, 
in  which  the  pretenfions  of  Behaim  are  re- 
vived by  M.  Otto;  who  has  produced  fome 
authorities  which  he  had  obtained  from  Nu- 
remberg, an  imperial  city  of  Germ  any,  and 
which  appear  to  him  ,  "  to  eftablifh  in  the 
cleareft  manner  a  difcovery  of  America  ante- 
rior to  that  of  Columbus." 

It  is  conceded  that  Behaim  was  a  man  of 
learning  and  enterprife  ;  that  he  was  con- 
temporary 

*  No.  25,  p.  263, 


86 


temporary  withColumbus  and  was  his  friend; 
that  he  purfued  the  fame  ftudies  and  drew 
the  fame  conclufions  ;  that  he  was  employed 
by  King  John  II.  in  making  difcoveries  ;  and, 
that  he  met  with  deferved  honour  for  the  im- 
portant fervices  which  he  rendered  to  the 
Crown  of  Portugal.  But,  there  are  fuch  dif- 
ficulties attending  the  ftory  of  his  difcovering 
America,  as  appear  to  mc  infuperable.  Thefe 
I  fhall  flatc  ;  together  with  fome  remarks  on 
the  authorities  produced  by  M.  Otto. 

The  firft  of  his  authorities  contains  fcveral 
affertions  which  are  contradi£led  by  other 
hiflories  ;*  ( i  )That  Ifabella,  daughterof  John, 
King  of  Portugal,  reigned  after  the  death  of 
Philip,  Duke  of  Burgundy,  furnamed  the 
Good.  (2)  That  to  this  lady,  when  regent  of 
the  Dutchy  of  Burgundy  and  Flanders,  Be- 
haim  paid  a  vifit  in  1459,  and  (3)  that  hav- 
ing informed  her  of  his  defigns,  he  procured 
a  veflfel  in  which  he  made  the  difcovery  of  the 
ifland  of  Fayal,  in  1460. 

It 

*  Memoirs  of  Philip  de  Comines.  Mezeray's  and 
Henault's  hiftory  of  France.    Collier's  Di6lionary. 


It  is  true  that  Philip,  Duke  of  Burgundy 
and  Flanders,  furnamed  the  Good,  married 
Ifabella  the  daughte;-  of  John  I.  King  of 
Portugal  ;  but  Philip  did  not  die  till  1467, 
and  was  immediately  lucceeded  by  his  fon 
Charles,  furnamed  the  Bold,  then  thirty-four 
years  of  age.  There  could  therefore  have 
been  no  interregnum,  nor  female  regent  after 
the  death  of  Philip  ;  and  if  there  had  been, 
the  time  of  Behaim's  vifit  will  not  correfpond 
with  it;  that  being  placed  in  1459,  ^'g^t 
years  before  the  death  of  Philip.  Such  a 
miftake,  in  point  of  fa6l,and  of  chronology,  is 
fufficient  to  induce  a  fufpicion  that  the  "  ar- 
chives of  Nuremberg"  are  too  deficient  in  ac- 
curacy to  be  depended  on  as  authorities. 

With  refpeft  to  the  difcovery  of  Fayal,  in 
1460,  M.  Otto  acknowledges  that  it  is  "  con- 
trary to  the  received  opinion  ;"  and  well  be 
might  ;  for  the  firft  of  the  Azores,  St.  Maria 
was  difcovered  in  1431  ;  the  fecond,  St.  Mi- 
chael in  1444  ;  the  third,  Terceira  in  1445  ; 
and  before  1449,  the  iflands,  St.  George, 
Graciofa,  Fayal  and  Pico,  were  known  to  the 

Portuguefe» 


^s 


Portuguefe.*  However  true  it  may  be  that 
Behaim  fettled  in  the  ifland  of  Fayal,  and  liv- 
ed there  twenty  years  ;.  yet  his  claim  to  the 
difcovery  of  it  muft  have  a  better  foundation 
than  the  '*  archives  of  Nuremberg,"  before  it 
can  be  admitted. 

The  genuine  account  of  the  fettlement  of 
Fayal,  and  the  intereft  which  Behaim  had  in 
it,  is  thus  related  by  Dr.  Forfter,  a  German 
author  of  much  learning  and  good  credit. 

"  After  the  death  of  the  infant  Don  Henry 
l^which  happened  in  1463.]  the  ifland  of  Fayal 
Was  made  a  prefentof  by  [his  fiftcr]  Ifabeila, 
Dutchefs  of  Burgundy,  to  Jobft  von  Hurter, 
a  native  of  Nuremberg.  Hurter  went  in 
1466,  with  a  colony  of  more  than  2000  Flem- 
ings of  both  fexes,  to  his  property,  the  ifle  of 
Fayal.  The  Dutchefs  had  provided  the  Flem- 
ilh  emigrants  with  all  neceflaries  for  two  years, 
and  the  colony  foon  increafed.  About  the 
vear  i486,  Martin  Behaim  married  a  daught- 
er of  the  Chevalier  Jobft  von  Hurter,  and 
had  a  fon  by  her  named  Martin.— Jobft  von 
Hurter,   and  Martin  Behaim,  both    natives 

of 

*  Former's  hiftory  of  voyages  and  difcoveries,  p.  2^6, 
2,57,  Dublin  edition. 


ef    Nuremberg,  were  Lords  of   Fayal  and 
Pico."* 

The  date  of  the  fuppofed  difcovery  of 
America,  by  Behaim,  is  placed  by  M.  Otto, 
in  1484,  eight  years  before  the  celebrated 
voyage  of  Columbus.  In  the  lame  year  we 
are  toldt  that  Alonzo  Sanchez  de  Huelva 
was  driven  by  a  ftorm  to  the  weftward  for 
twenty-nine  days  ;  and  faw  an  ifland,  of  which 
at  his  return  he  gave  information  to  Colum- 
bus ;  from  both  thefe  fuppofed  difcoverics 
this  conclufion  is  drawn,  "  That  Columbus 
would  never  have  thought  of  his  expedition 
to  America,  had  not  Behaim  gone  there  before 
him."  Whether  it  be  fuppofed  that  Behaim 
and  Sanchez  failed  in  the  fame  fliip,  or  that 
they  made  a  difcovery  of  two  diflFerent  parts 
of  America,  in  the  fame  year,  it  is  not  eafy  to 
underfland  from  the  authorities  produced  j 
but  what  deftroys  the  credibility  of  this  plau- 
fible  tale,  is,  that  Columbus  had  formed  his 
theory,  and  projeded  his  voyage,  at  leaft  ten 
years  before  ;   as  appears  by  his  correfpond- 

ence 

*  Forfter's  hiftory  of  voyages,  and  difcoverics, 
p.-  257,  258,  259. 

+  Garcilaffo  de  la  Vega's   Royal   commentarics- 
Preface.     Purchas.  vol.  V.  p.  1434. 
M 


90 

ence  with  Paul,  a  learned  phyfician  of  Flor- 
ence, which  bears  date  in  1474.*  It  is  uncer- 
tain at  what  time  Columbus  firft  made  his  ap- 
plication to  the  King  of  Portugal,  to  fit  him 
out  for  a  weftern  voyage  ;  but  it  is  certain 
that  after  a  negociation  with  him  on  the  fub- 
je6l,  and  after  he  had  found  out  the  fecret  and 
unfuccefsful  attempt  which  had  been  made 
to  anticipate  a  difcovery ;  he  quitted  that 
kingdom  in  difguft,  and  went  into  Spain,  in 
the  latter  end  of  the  year  i484.t  The  au- 
thority of  thefe  fafts  is  unqueftioned ;  and 
from  them  it  fully  appears,  that  a  prior  dif- 
covery of  America,  by  Behaim  or  Sanchez, 
made  in  1484,  could  not  have  been  the  foun- 
dation of  the  enterprife  of  Columbus. 

M.  Otto  fpeaks  of  letters  written  by  Behaim 
in  i486,  in  the  German  language,  and  preferr- 
ed in  the  '•'  archives  of  Nuremberg"  which 
fupport  this  claim  to  a  prior  difcovery.  As 
thefe  letters  are  not  produced,  no  certain 
opinion  can  be  formed  concerning  them  ;  but 
from  the  date  of  the  letters,  and  from  the 
voyages  which  Behaim  a£lually  performed  in 

the 

*  Life,  chap.  vili. 

+  Ibid.  chap.  xii. 


9t 

the  two  preceding  years,  we  may  with  great 
probability  fuppofe,  that  they  related  to  the 
difcovery  of  Congo,  in  Africa;  to  which 
Behaim  has  an  uncontroverted  claim. 

I  will  now  flate  the  fa6ls  relative  to  this 
event,  partly  from  the  authorities  cited  by  M. 
Otto;  and  partly  from  others. 

Dr.  Robertfon  places  the  difcovery  of  Con- 
go and  Benin  in  1483,  and  with  him  Dr.  Forf- 
ter  agrees.  The  authors  of  the  modern  uni- 
verfal  hiflory*  fpeak  of  two  voyages  to  that 
coaft,  the  firfl  in.  1484  ;  the  fecond  in  1485  ; 
both  of  which  were  made  by  Diego  Cam,f 
who  is  faid  to  have  been  one  of  the  moft  ex- 
pert failors  and  of  an  enterprifing  genius. 
From  the  chronicle  of  Hartman  Schedl,  as 
quoted  by  M.  Otto,  we  are  informed,  that 
Behaim  failed  with  Cam,  in  thefc  voyages, 
which  are  defcribed  in  the  following  terms, 
"  Thefe  two,  by  the  bounty  of  heaven,  coafl- 
ing  along  the  fouthern  ocean,  and  having 
crofled  the  equator,  got  into  the  other  hem- 

ifphere ; 

*  Vol.  XVI.  p.  133,135. 

+  Diego  is  the  Spanifh  name  of  James,  in  Latin 
Jacobus,  and  in  Puitugucfe,  Jaj^o.  Cam  is  in  Latin, 
Camus  or  Canus,  and  in  Spanifh,  Cano;  thefe  differ- 
ent names  are  found  in  different  authors. 


ifphere;  ^here,  facing  to  the  eafiward,  their 
Ihadows  projected  toward  the  fouth,  and  right 
hand,"  No  words  could  be  more  completely 
defcriptive  of  a  voyage  from  Portugal  to  Con- 
go, as  any  perfon  may  be  fatisfied  by  infpeft- 
ing  a  map  of  Africa  ;  but  how  could  M.  Ot- 
to imagine  that  the  difcovery  of  America  was 
accompliflied  in  fuch  a  voyage  as  this  ?  "  Hav- 
ing finifhed  this  cruize  (continues  Schedl)  in 
the  fpace  of  26  months,  they  returned  to  Por- 
tugal, with  the  lofs  of  many  of  their  feamen, 
hy  the  violence  of  the  climate."  This  latter 
circumftance  alfo  agrees  very  well  with  the 
climate  of  the  African  coafl  ;*  but  Schedl  fays 
not  a  word  of  the  difcovery  of  America. 

M.  Otto  goes  on  to  tell  us  "  that  the  moft 
pofitive  proof  of  the  great  fei  vices  rendered  to 
the  crown  of  Portugal  by  Behaim,  is  the  rec- 
ompenfe  bellowed  on  him  by  King  John  II ; 
who  in  the  moft  folemn  manner,  knighted 
him,  in  the  prefence  of  all  his  court."  Then 
follows  a  particular  detail  of  the  ceremony  of 
inftaliation,  as  performed  on  the  18th  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1485,  and  M.  Otto  fairly  owns  that 
this  was  *'  a  reward  for  the  difcovery  of  Con- 

*  See  Brooks's  Gazetteer,  Benin. 


9$ 

go."     Now  let  us  bring  the  detached  parts  of 
the  ftory  together. 

Behaim  was  knighted  on  the  i8th  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1485,  for  the  difcovery  of  Congo,  in 
which  he  had  been  employed  26  months  pre- 
ceding ;  having  within  that  time  made  two 
voyages  thither  in  company  with  Diego  Cam, 
It  will  follow  then  that  the  whole  of  the  pre- 
ceding years,  1484  and  1483  were  taken  up 
in  thcfe  two  voyages.  This  agrees  very  well 
with  the  accounts  of  the  difcovery  of  Congo, 
in  Robertfon  and  Forfter,  and  does  not  difa- 
grce  with  the  modern  univerfal  hiftory,  as  far 
as  the  year  1484  is  concerned  ;  which  unfor- 
tunately is  the  year  afligned  for  Behaim's  dif- 
covery of  "  that  part  of  America  called  Brafil, 
and  his  failing  even  to  the  Straights  of  Magel- 
lan." 

The  only  thing  in  M.  Otto's  memoir  which 
bears  any  refemblance  to'  a  fblution  of  this 
difficulty  is  this.  "  We  may  fuppofe  that 
Behaim,  engaged  in  an  expedition  to  Congo, 
was  driven  by  tiie  winds  to  Fernambouc,  and 
from  thence  by  the  currents  toward  the  coall 
of  Guiana.'  Bat  fuppontions  without  proof 
will  avail  little  ;    and   fujipoGtions    againfl: 

proof 


94 

proof  will  avail  nothing.  The  two  voyages 
to  Congo  are  admitted.  The  courfe  is  def- 
cribed  ;  and  the  time  is  determined  ;  and 
both  thefe  are  direftly  oppofed  to  the  fuppo- 
iition  of  his  being  driven  by  winds  and  c)a,r- 
rents  to  America^  For  if  he  had  been  driven 
out  of  his  courfe  and  had  fpent  "  feveral 
years  in  examining  the  American  iflands^ 
and  difcovering  the  ftraight  which  bears  the 
name  of  Magellan  ;"*  and  if  one  of  thofe 
years  was  the  year  1484,  then  he  could  not 
have  fpent  26  months  preceding  February, 
1485,  in  the  difcovery  of  Congo  ;  but  of  this 
we  have  full  and  fatisfaftory  evidence  ;  the 
difcovery  of  America  therefore  mufl  be  given 
up. 

There  is  one  thing  further  in  this  memoir 
which  defervcs  a  particular  remark,  and  that 
i&  the  reafon  affigned  by  M.  Otto,  for  which 
the  Kmg  of  Portugal  declined  the  propofal 
of  Columbus  to  fail  to  India  by  the  weft. 
*'  The  refufal  of  John  II.  is  a  proof  of  the 
knowledge  v.'hich  that  politic  prince  had  al- 
ready procured,  of  the  exiftence  of  a  new  con- 
tinent, which  offered  him  only  barren  lands, 

inhabited 

*  Memoirs,  p.  269. 


95 

inhabited  by  unconquerable  favages."*  This 
knowledge  is  fuppofed  to  have  been  derived 
from  the  difcoveries  made  by  Behaim.  But, 
not  to  urge  again  the  chronological  difficulty 
wit.'i  which  this  conjefture  is  embarraflfed,  I 
vill  take  notice  of  two  circumftances  in  the 
life  of  Columbus,  which  militate  with  this 
idea.  The  firft  is,  that  when  Columbus  had 
propofed  a  weftern  voyage  to  King  John, 
and  he  declined  it,  "  The  King  by  the  ad- 
vice of  one  Do6lor  Calzadilla,  refolved  Lo 
fend  a  caravel  privately,  to  attempt  that  which 
Columbus  had  propofed  to  him  ;  becaufe  in 
cafe  thofe  countries  were  fo  difcovered,  he 
thought  himfclf  not  obliged  to  bellow  any 
great  reward.  Having  fpeedily  equipped  a 
caravel,  which  was  to  carry  fupplies  to  the 
iflands  of  Cabo  Verde,  he  fent  it  that  way  which 
the  admiral  propofed  to  go.  But  thofe  whom 
he  fent  wanted  the  knowledge,  conftancy  and 
fpirit  of  the  admiral.  After  wandering  many 
days  upon  the  fea,  they  turned  back  to  the 
iflands  of  Cabo  Verde,  laughing  at  the  un- 
dertaking, and   faying  it  was  impojfibk  there 

fliould  be  any  land  in  thofe feas."f 

Afterward 
*  Memoirs,  p.  :ij6. 

t  Life  of  Columbus,  chap.  xi. 


96_ 

Afterward  "  tlie  King  being  fcnfible  how- 
faulty  they  were  whom  he  had  lent  with  the 
caravel,  had  a  mind  to  reftore  the  admiral 
to  his  favour,  and  deGred  that  he  ihould  re- 
new the  difcourfe  of  his  enterprize  ;  but  ^ot 
being  fo  diligent  to  put  this  in  execution  as 
the  admiral  was  in  getting  away,  he  loft  that 
good  opportunity  ;  the  admiral,  about  the 
end  of  the  year  1484,  ftole  away  privately 
out  of  Portugal  for  fear  of  being  ftopped  by 
the  King."*  This  account  does  not  agree 
with  the  fuppofition  of  a  prior  difcovery. 

The  other  circumftance  is  an  interview 
which  Columbus  had  with  the  people  of  Lif- 
bon,  and  the  King  of  Portugal,  on  his  re- 
turn from  his  firft  voyage.  For  it  fo  hap- 
pened that  Columbus  on  his  return  was  by 
ftrefs  of  weather  obliged  to  take  fhelter  in  the 
port  of  Lifbon  ;  and  as  foon  as  it  was  knowa 
that  he  had  come  from  the  Indies,  "  the  peo- 
ple thronged  to  fee  the  natives  whom  he  had 
brought  and  hear  the  news  ;  fo  tbat  the  cara- 
vel would  not  contain  them.  Some  of  them 
praifing  God  for  fo  great  a  happinefs  ; 
others  ftorming-  that  they  had  lojl  the  difcovery 
through  their  Kings  incredulity,"  When 

*  Life  of  Columbus,  chap.  xii. 


97 

When  the  King  fent  for  Columtus,  "  he 
was  doubtful  what  to  do  ;  but  to   take  off 
all  fufpicion  that  he  came/rom  his  conquejls, 
he  confented."     At  the  interview,  "  the  King 
offered  him  all  that  he  flood  in  need  of  for 
the  fervice  of  their  Catholic  Majefties,  though 
he  thought,  that  forafmuch  as  he  had  been  a 
captain  in  Portugal,  that  conqueft  belonged  to 
him.     To  which  the  admiral  anfwered,  that 
he  knew  of  no  fuch  agreement,  and  that  he 
had  ftriftly  obferved  his  orders,  which  were 
not  to  go  to  the  mines  of  Portugal,  £the  gold 
coaft]  nor  to  Guinea."*    Had  John  II.  heard 
of  Behaim's  voyage  to  a  weflern  continent, 
would  he  not  have  claimed  it  by  priority  o£ 
difcovery    rather    than    by   the    commiffioa 
which  Columbus  had  formerly  borne  in  his 
fervice  ?   Had  fuch  a  prior  difcovery  been 
made,  could  it  have  been  concealed  from  the 
people  of  Lifbon  ?  And   would   they  have 
been  angry  that  their  King  had  loft  it  by  his. 
incredulity  ?  Thefe  circumftances  appear  to 
me  to  carry  lufficient  evidence,  that  no  difcov- 
ery of  America  prior  to  that  of  Columbus 
had  come  to  the  knowledge  of  the  King  of. 
Portugal.  In 

*  Life,  chap.  xli. 

N 


''in  atrfwerto  the  qtieftion  **  Why  are  wc 
fearching  the  archives  of  an  imperial  city  for 
the  caufes  of  an  event,  which  took  place  in 
the  weftern  extremity  of  Europe  ?"  M.  Ot- 
to gives  us  to  underftand,  that  "  from  the 
fourteenth  to  the  fixteenth  centuries,  the  Ger- 
mans \veTt  the  beft  geographers,  the  bed  hif- 
torians  and  the  moft  enlightened  politicians.** 
Kot  to  detraft  from  the  merit  of  the  German 
Kterati  of  thofe  ages,  I  think  we  may  give 
equal  credit  to  a  learned  German  author  of 
the  prefent  age,  Dr.  John  Reinhold  Forfter; 
who  appears  to  have  a  thorough  underftand- 
ing  of  the  claims  not  only  of  his  own  country- 
men, but  of  others.  In  his  indefatigable  re- 
fearches  into  the  difcoveries  which  have  been 
made  by  all  nations,  though  he  has  given  due 
credit  to  the  adventures  of  Behaim  in  Congo 
and  Fayal,  yet  he  has  not  faid  one  word  of 
his  vifiting  America ;  which  he  certainly 
would  have  done  if  in  his  opinion  there  had 
been  any  foundation  for  it. 

He  has  indeed  given  us  a  long  detail,  with 
much  reafoning,  on  a  difcovery  made  in  the 
iith  century  by  the  Normans,  of  a  country 
called  Winland  ;  which  he  fuppofes  to  be  the 

ifland 


ifland  of  Newfoundland ;  but  neither  he  nor 
any  other  writer  pretends  that  the  knowledge 
of  this  difcovery  was  ever  communicated  to 
Columbus.  That  great  man  therefore,  is  juft* 
ly  entitled  to  the  honour  of  an  original  difcov- 
ery of  America. 


og^ 


f^ 


■lurx  Oil  . 


I.  — ■  ■■■      -     ■■»    !■      Ill      ■       —  »^.—     wm         ■■  I  1     Wfc  fci         ■■■I 

APPENDIX 

T  O 

DISSERTATION     II. 

No.  I. 

X-zTTERS  from  PAUL  a  Phyfician  of  Florence, 
to  CHRISTOPHER  COLUMBUS,  con- 
cerning the  Difcovery  of  the  Indies. 

LETTER     I. 

To  Christopher  Columbus,  Favl  the Phy^ 

fician  wiJJieth  health,  ' 

-•  ♦ 

I  PERCEIVE  your  noble  and  earneft 

defire  to  fail  to  thofe  parts  where  the  fpice   is 

produced  ;  and  therefore  in  anfwer  to  a  letter 

of  yours,    I  fend  you  another  letter,  which 

fome  days  fince  I  wrote  to  a  friend  of  mine, 

and  fervant  to  the  King  of   Portugal    before 

the  wars  of  Caftilc,   in  anfwer  to  another  he 

wrote  to  me  by  his  highnefs's  order,  upon  this 

fame  account ;  and  I   fend  you  another  fea- 

chart  like  that  I  fent  him,   which  will  fatisfy 

your  demands.     The  copy  of  the  letter  is 

this. 

Ta 


To  Ferdinand  Martin EZ,wnowo/"Lifl)On, 
Paul  /A<r  Phyjician  wijlieth  healthy 
I  AM  very  glad  to  hear  of  the  familiarity 
you  have  with  your  moft  ferene  and  magnifi- 
cent King ;  and  though  I  have  very  oftea  dif- 
courfed  concerning  tht Jhort  way  there  is  from 
hence  to  the  Indies  where  the  fpice  is  produc- 
ed, by  fea,  which  I  look  upon  to  be  fliorter 
than  that  you  take  by  the  coaft  of  Guinea  ;  yet 
you  now  tell  me  that  his  highnefs  would  have 
me  make  out  and  demonftrate  it,  fo  as  it  may 
be  underftood  and  put  in  pra6lice.     There- 
fore, though  I  could  better  Ihow  it  him  witha 
globe  in  my  hand,  and  make  him  fenfible   of 
the  figure  of  the  world ;  yet  I  have  refolved 
to  render  it  more  eafy  and  intelligible,  to  fhow 
this  way  upon  a  chart,  fuch   as   are  ufed  m. 
navigation ;  and  therefore  I  fend  one  to  his 
tnajefty,  made  and  drawn  with  my  own  hand; 
wherein  is  fet  down  the  utmoft  bounds  of  the 
weft,  from  Ireland  in  the  north,  to  the  fartheft 
part  of  Guinea,  with  all  the  iflands  that  lie  i«i 
the  way.     Oppofite  to  which  weftern  coaft  is 
^fcribed  the  beginning  of  the  Indies,  with  the 
iflands  and  places  whither  you  may  go,  and 
how  far  yon  may  bend  from  the  north  pole 

toward 


1^ 

toward  the  cquinoftlal,  and  for  how  long  a 
time  ;  that  is,  how  many  leagues  you  may  fail, 
hefove  you  come  to  thofe  places  moft  fruitful 
in  all  forts  of  fpice,  jewels  and  precious  ftones. 
Do  not  wonder  if  I  term  that  country  where 
the  fpice  grows  tveji,  that  produ6l:  being  gene- 
rally afcribed  to  the  eaft ;  becaufe  thofe  who 
fiiall  fail  weftward  will  always  find  thofe  places 
in  the  weft  ;  and  they  that  travel  by  land  caft- 
ward  will  ever  find  thofe  places  in  the  eaft. 
The  ftrait  lines  that  lie  lengthways  in  the 
chart,  ftiew  the  diftance  there  is  from  weft  to 
eaft  ;  the  others  crofs  them,  ftiew  the  diftance 
from  north  to  fouth.  I  have  alio  marked 
down  in  the  faid  chart,  feveral  places  in  India, 
where  fliips  might  put  in,  upon  any  ftorm  or 
contrary  winds,  or  any  other  accident  unfore- 
feen. 

Moreover  to  give  you  full  information  of 
all  thofe  places  which  you  are  very  defirous 
to  know ;  you  muft  underftand,  that  none 
but  traders  live  or  refide  in  all  thofe  iflands, 
and  that  there  is  as  great  a  number  of  ftiips 
and  feafaring  people  with  merchandife,  as  in 
any  other  part  of  the  world  ;  particularly  in  a 
moft  noble  port  called   Zaclon,  where    tliere 

are 


io4 

arc  every  year  a  hundred  large  fhips  of  {)eppct 
loaded  and  unloaded,  befides  many  other 
(hips  that  take  in  other  fpice. 

This  country  is  mighty  populous,  and 
thett  are  many  provinces  and  kingdoms,  and 
innumerable  cities  under  the  dominion  of  a 
prince  called  the  great  Kham,  which  name 
iignifies  King  of  Kmgs,  who  for  the  moft  part 
xeiides  in  the  Province  of  Cathay.  His  pred- 
eceffors  were  very  delirous  to  have  com- 
merce and  be  in  amity  with  Chriflians ;  and 
200  years  fmce,  fent  ambafladors  to  the  Pope  ; 
deliring  him  to  fend  them  many  learned  men 
and  doftors  to  teach  them  our  faith ;  but  by 
reafon  of  fome  obftacles  the  ambaffadors  met 
with,  they  returned  back,  without  coming  to 
Rome. 

Befides,  there  came  an  ambaflador  to  Pope 
Eugenius  IV.  who  told  him  the  great  friend- 
Ihip  there  was  between  thofe  princes,  their 
people  and  the  Chriflians.  I  difcourfed  with 
him  a  long  while  upon  the  feveral  matters  of 
the  grandeur  of  their  royal  flruftures,  and  of 
the  greatnefs,  length  and  breadth  of  their  riv- 
ers. He  told  me  many  wonderful  things  of 
the  multitude  of  towns   and  cities  founded 

along 


along  the  banks  of  the  rivers ;  and  that  there 
were   200   cities  upon  one  river  only,  with 
marble  bridges  over  it,  of  a  great  length  and 
breadth,  and  adorned  with  abundance  of  pii-. 
lars.     This  country  deferves  as  well  as  any 
other  to  be  difcovered ;   and  there   li^ay  ti6t 
only  be  great  profit  made  there,   and  Tniriy 
things  of  value  found,  but  alfo  gold,  filver,  all 
forts  of  precious  ftones,  and  fpiccs  in  abund- 
ance, which  are  not  brought  into  our^art^. 
And  it  is  certain,  that   many  wife  men,  phi- 
lofophers,  aftrologers,  and  other  perfons  fkil- 
led  in  all  arts,  and  very  ingenious,  govern  that 
mighty  province,  and  command  their  armies. 
From  Lilbon  direftly  weftward,  there  arc 
in  the  chart  26  fpaces,  each  of  which  contains 
250  miles,  to  the  moft  noble  and  vafl;  city  of 
Quifay,  which  is  100  miles  in  compafs,  that  is 
35  leagues  ;  in  it  there  are  ten  marble  bridges, 
the  name  fignifies  a  heavenly  city  ;  of  which, 
wonderful  things  are  reported,  as  to  the  inge- 
nuity of  the  people,  the  buildings  and  the  rev- 
enues.   This  fpace  abovementioned  is  almoft 
the  third  part  of  the  globe.     This   city  is  in 
the  province  of  Mango,  bordering  on  that  of 
Cathay,  where  the  King  for  the  mofl  part 
re  fides.  O  From 


From  the  ifland  Antilla,  which  you  call  the 
feven  cities,  and  of  which  you  havefome  knowU 
edge,  to  the  mo  ft  noble  ifland  of  Cipango  are 
ten  fpaces,  which  make  2500  miles,  or  225 
leagues  ;  which  ifland  abounds  in  gold,  pearls 
and  precious  fliones  ;  and  you  mu{l  under- 
fland,  they  cover  their  temples  and  palaces 
with  plates  of  pure  gold.  So  that  for  want 
of  knowing  the  way,  all  thefe  things  are  hid- 
den and  concealed,  and  yet  may  be  gone  to 
with  fafety. 

Much  more  might  be  faid,  but  having  told 
you  what  is  mofl  material,  and  you  being  wife 
and  judicious,  I  am  fatisfied  there  is  nothing 
of  it,  but  what  you  underfland,  and  therefore 
I  will  not  be  more  prolix.  Thus  much  may 
ferve  to  fatisfy  your  curiofity,  it  being  as  much 
as  the  fliortncfs  of  time  and  mybufinefs  would 
permit  me  to  fay.  So  I  remain  moft  ready 
to  fatisfy  and  ferve  his  highnefs  to  the  utmolt 
in  all  the  commands  he  ftiall  lay  upon  me. 

Florence i  June  25,  1474. 


LETTER 


10/ 


LETTER     II. 

To  Christopher  Columbus,  Paul  the  Phy^ 
Jician  -wi/heth  health. 

I  RECEIVED  your  letters  with  th? 
things  you  fent  me,  which  I  take  as  a  great 
favour,  and  commend  your  noble  and  ardent 
defire  of  faiHngfrom  eaft  to  weft,  as  it  is  mark- 
ed out  in  the  chart  I  lent  you,  which  would 
demonftrate  itfelf  better  in  the  form  of  a  globe. 
I  am  glad  it  is  well  underftood,  and 
that  the  voyage  laid  down  is  not  only  polTible,' 
but  true,  certain,  honourable,  very  advantage- 
ous and  moft  glorious  among  all  Chrillians. 
You  cannot  be  perfeft  in  the  knowledge  of  it,^ 
but  by  experience  and  practice,  as  I  have  had 
in  great  meafure,  and  by  the  folid  and  true 
information  of  worthy  and  wife  men,  who  are 
come  from  thofe  parts  to  this  court  of  Rome  ; 
and  from  merchants  who  have  traded  long  in 
thofe  parts,  and  are  perions  of  good  reputa- 
tion. So  that  when  the  faid  voyage  is  per- 
formed, it  will  be  to  powerful  kingdoms,  and 
to  the  moft  noble  cities  and  provinces  ;  rich 
and  abounding  '\^  all  things  we  fland  in  need 
of,  particularly  in  all  forts  of  fpice  in  great 
quantities,  and  flore  of  jewels.  Tins 


This  will  moreover  be  grateful  to  thofe 
kings  and  princes,  who  are  very  delirous  to 
converfe  and  trade  with  Chriftians  of  thefe 
our  countries  ;  whether  it  be  for  fome  of  them 
to  become  Chriftians,  or  elfe  to  have  commu- 
nication with  the  wife  and  ingenious  men  of 
thefe  parts,  as  well  in  point  of  religion,  as  in 
all  Iciences,  becaufe  of  the  extraordinary  ac- 
count they  have  of  the  kingdoms  and  govern- 
ment of  thefe  parts.  For  which  reafons,  and 
many  more  that  might  be  alleged,  I  do  not  at 
all  admire,  that  you  who  have  a  great  heart,  and 
all  the  Portuguefe  nation  which  has  ever  had 
notable  men  in  all  undertakings,  be  eagerly 
bent  upon  performing  this  voyage. 


<=^ 


APPENDIX. 


10^ 

APPENDIX. 

No.     II. 

A  Chronological  detail  of  Difcoveries  made  in  the. 
f/tecnth  Century,  conncEled  with  Events  in,  the 
Life  oj-  CoLUUBVs, 

TOHN  I,  King 
of  Portugal. 
1412.  Sends  vefTcls  along 
the  weflern  fliore   of 
Africa  to  difcover  un- 
known countries. 

i^.  Henry, fourth  fon  of 
KingJohnI,condufts 
the  Portuguefe  dif- 
coveries, which  are 
puihed  as  far  as  Cape 
Bojador,  lat.  26°  N. 
Rohertfon. 

18.  The  ifland  of  Porlo 
Santo  difcovered. 

20.  The  ifland  of  Ma- 
deira difcovered. 

31,  The  iflands  of  St, 
Mary,  the  firft  of  the 
Azores  difcovered, 

43.  Cape  Arguin  on  tiie 
African  coaft,  lat.  20*^ 
N.  difcovered. 

44.  St. Michael,  the fec- 
ond  of  the  Azores, 

difcovered.  14^5.  A 


1445,  A  third  id^nd  of  the 

Azores     difcovered, 

which  from  that  clr- 

cumftance   is    called 

Terce-ira.      Forjltr. 

Papal  Bull  conferring 

the  newly  difcovered 

countries  on  the  Por- 

tuguefe. 
46.  Companies   of  pri- 
vate    merchants     in 

Portugal      undertake 

difcoveries,  and  pufh 

them  as  far  as  Cape 

de  Verd,  on  the  coaft 

of  Africa,  lat.  14°  N. 

Robertfon.    i^^j,  Chriftopher     Co- 
49.  The  iflands  of  Cape  lumbus  born  at  Ce- 

de Verd  difcovered ;  noa. 

and   before  this  year 

four  other  iflands  of 

the  Azoresare  known, 

viz.  St.  George,  Gra- 

ciofa,  Fayal  and  Pico.       61.  Takes  to  lea  at  the 
Forjkr.  age  of  fourteen. 

63.   Prince  Henry  dies, 

and    the   pafiion    for 

difcovery  languifhes. 
(Uncertain  date. J  Alphon- 

fo  V.  King  of  Portu- 
gal giants  an  exclu-  five 


Ill 


five  right  of  difcovery 
to  Gomez,  and  gives 
the  ifland  of  Fayal  to 
his  fifter  Ifabclla, 
Dutchefs  of  Burgun- 
dy and  Flanders. 

Roh.  Former. 
1466.  Ifabella  fends  Jobft 
Von  Hurter  to  Fayal 
with  acolony  of  Flem- 
ings. Forjler. 
67.  PhilipMtf^oodf.Duke 
of  Burgundy  &  Flan- 
ders, and   hufband  to 
Ifabella,  dies  at  Bru- 
ges, Mx.  73  :   Is  fuc- 
ceeded  by     his     fon 
Charles  the  bold,  ^Et. 
34.    Collier.  Meter  ay. 
7  \ .  The  Portuguefe  dif- 
cover  Guinea,  partic- 
ularly the  gold  coaft, 
and  firft  crofs  the  e- 
quator.            Forjler. 


1467.  ColOm«us 
fails  1 00  leagues  be- 
yond Iceland,  with- 
in the  polar  circle, 
as  far  as  lat.  73^  N. 
Follows  the  {ea  23 
years,  in  which  time 
he  vifits  all  the  dif- 
coveries    made    by 
the  Portuguefo^  in 
Africa  and    tffie    i- 
flands  ;  during  this 
time  he  fettles  and 
marries    at  Lifhon. 
74.  Columbus     corref- 
ponds  with  Paul,  ot 
Florence,on  the  pro- 
bability    of  finding 
India  in  the  weft. 
Life  of  Col.  by 
Ferdinand  CoL 


{ 


14B3. 


112 


1481.  John  II,  King  of 
Portugal,  revives  the 
fpirit  ot  difcovery,  and 
builds  a  fort  on  the 
coaft  of  Guinea,  cal- 
led iS^.  George  de  la 
Mina,  lat.  5°  N. 

Forfier. 

83.  Sends  Diego  Cam 

and  Martin  Behaim.to 
make  new  difcoveries 
on  the  coaft  of  Africa. 

84.  They  make  two 
voyages  in  26  months, 
and  difcover  Congo 
and  Benin. 

8^.  Feb.  18.  Behaim  is 
knighted  byKingJohn 
II.  He  atterward mar- 
ries the  daughter  of 
Hurter,  and  thus  be- 
comes a  proprietor  and 
Lord  of  the  ifland  ot 
Fayal.  Schedl.  Forjier. 


[Uncertain  )  Columbus 
propofes'  his  plan 
of  a  weftern  voyage 
to  the  republic  of 
Genoa.without  fuc- 
cefs.  Herrera. 

Then  to  John  II,  of 
Portugal ;  who,  by 
the  advice  of  Cal- 
zadllla,      privately 
fends  a    vefTel    to 
make  difcoveries  in 
the     weft,      which 
comes  back  to  Cape 
de    Verd,    without 
fuccefs. 
1484.  In  the  latter  end  of 
this  year  Columbus 
leaves  Liftjon,  and 
goes    into    Spain, 
having    previoufly 
fent  his  brother  Bar- 
tholomew to  Eng-    / 
land.         Ferd.  Cot. 
88.  Bartholomew  hav- 
ing been  taken  and 
detained       feveral 
years    by    pirates, 
gets  toEngland,em- 
ploys    himfeli     in 
making 


^^3 


i486.  Cape  of  Good  Hope 
difcovered  byBarthol- 
omew  Diaz.        Rob. 


92.  Martin  Behaim  vif- 
its  Nuremberg,  his  na- 
tive city,  where  he 
makes  a  globe,  on 
which  are  delineated 
coafls  and  idands, 
which,  from  their  fit- 
uaiion,  2iKtfuppo[cd\.o 
be  fome  parts  of  A- 
merica. 

{Robertfon's  Ame- 
rica, vol.  I.  p.  322. 


making  maps  and 
globes,  and  prefents 
one  to  Henry  VH. 
Mod.  Univ,  Eijl, 
1491.  Columbus  having 
madeapplication  to 
Ferdinand,  King  of 
Caftile,and  been  re- 
pulfed,  refolves  to 
follow  his  brother 
to  England,  but  is 
recalled  by  Queen 
Ifabella.  Ferdinand 
being  Hill  inflexi- 
ble, Columbus  dif- 
gufted  refolves  to 
go  to  France. 
92.  Is  again  recalled, 
and  receives  en- 
couragement from 
Ifabella. 

May  12.  Sets  out 
from  Granada,  for 
Palos,  whence, 
Aug.  3,    he    fails 
with  three  veffels. 
Aug.    12,    arrives 
at  the  Canaries. 
Septem.  6.     Sails 
thence  to  the  weft- 
ward. 


ii4 


1493.  Pop^  Alexander  VI. 
draws  his  line  of  de- 
markation  between  the 
difcoveries  oi  the  Por- 
tuguefe  and  Spaniards, 
100  leagues  weft  of 
the  Azores. 
Hazard's  State  pap. 

96.  John  Cabot,  a  Ve- 
netian, in  the  fervicc 
of  Henry  Vll.of  Eng- 
land,  difcovers  part  of 
America,  in  lat.  43°' 
N.  and  coafts  it  north- 
ward to  68^,and  fouth- 
ward  to  38°. 

Prince's  Chron. 

gj.  Vafquez  de  Gama 
doubles  the  Cape  of 
Good  Hope,  and  ar- 
rives at  Melinda. 

98.  Makes  his  voyage  to 
India,  and  thus  com- 
pletes the  difcovery  of 


oa.  12.  Difcoy- 

ers  Guanahana,  one 
of  the  Bahama   i- 
flands,  diftant  950 
leagues    irom    the 
Canaries. 
1493.  Returns  to  Spain, 
and  arrives  at  Pa- 
los  March  15. 
Sept.  25.  Sails  on 
his  fecond  voyage 
to  the  Weft-Indies. 
94.  His  brotherBartho- 
lomew  meets  him  in 
Hifpaniola. 
96.  Columbus  returns 
to  Spain  from  his 
fecond  voyage. 


98.  Columbus  fails  a 
third  time,  difcov- 
ers   the  ifland    of 


"5 


that   country  by  the 
Eaft. 


1500.  Cabral, bound  to  In- 
dia, difcovers  by  acci- 
dent the  continent  of 
America,  in  lat.  10^ 
S.  which  is  called  Bra- 
fil.  Rob, 


06.  Martin  Behaim  dies 
at  Lifbon.  Otto, 


Trinidad,  and  thea 
the  continent. 

1459.  Ojeda.a  private  ad- 
venturer, and  A- 
merigo  Vefpucci, 
follow  the  track  of 
Columbus,&  claim 
the  honour  of  dif- 
coveringthe  contl. 
nent,  which  from  a 
publication  made 
by  Amerigo,  is  cal- 
led AMERICA. 

1500.  Columbus  is  fcnt 
prifoner  to  Spain, 
by  Bovadilla. 

02.  Makes  his  fourth 
voyage  to  the  wefl, 
and  fearches  for  a 

03.  pafTage  through  the 
continent  to  India, 
is  wrecked  on  Ja- 
maica. 

04.  Returns  to  Spain, 
finds  his  friend  and 
patronefs,  Ifabella, 
dead. 

06.  Diesat  Valladolid, 
is  buried  at  Sevil- 
le,in  the  Cathedral, 
^t.59. 

Ferd.  Col. 


Hf 


DISSERTATION    III. 

ON   THE   QUESTION,    WHETHER  THE     HON- 
EY BEE  IS  A  NATIVE  OF  AMERICA. 


Mi 


.R.  JEFFERSON,  in  his  notes 
on  Virginia,  has  faid,  that  "  the  honey  bee  is 
not  a  native  of  our  continent.  The  Indians 
concur  with  us  in  the  tradition  that  it  was 
brought  from  Europe,  but  when,  and  by  whom 
we  know  not.  The  bees  have  generally  ex- 
tended themfelves  into  the  country,  a  little 
in  advance  of  the  white  fettlers.  The  Indi- 
ans therefore  call  them  the  white  man's  fly; 
and  confider  their  approach  as  indicating  the 
approach  of  the  fettlement  of  the  whites." 
He  allows  that  "  in  Brafil  there  is  a  fpecies  of 
honey  bee,  without  a  fling,  but  that  it  is  very 
different  from  the  one  we  have,  which  perfe6l- 
ly  refembles  that  of  Europe."  The  fafts  ad- 
duced by  this  refpe6lable  author  are  true  ; 
but  they  \\  ill  not  warrant  his  conclufion  that 
"  the  honey  bee,  meaning  the  one  refembling 
that  of  Europe,  is  not  a  native  of  our  conti- 
nent."* There 

^  Page  79,   American  Edition.  121.  Englifh. 


ii8 

"There  is  one  circumflance  in  the  hiftory  of 
Columbus,  which  proves  that  bees  were 
known  in  the  iflands  of  the  Weft-Indies,  at 
the  time  of  his  difcovery.  When  on  his  firft 
return  to  Europe  he  was  in  danger  of  perifti- 
ing  at  fea,  he  wrote  an  account  of  his  difcov- 
ery on  parchment,  which  he  enclofed  in  a 
cake  of  wax,  and  put  into  a  tight  calk,  com- 
mitting the  whole  to  the  fea,  in  hope  of  its 
being  driven  on  Ihore  or  taken  up.  This  wax 
was  procured  in  the  ifland  of  Hifpaniola* 
which  he  had  vifited,  and  it  was  one  of  the 
firft  fruits  of  his  difcovery. 

The  indefatigable  Purchas  gives  us  an  ac- 
count of  the  revenues  of  the  empire  of  Mex- 
ico, before  the  arrival  of  the  Spaniards,  as 
defcribed  in  its  annals  ;  which  were  pi6lures 
drawn  on  cotton  cloth.  Among  other  arti- 
cles he  exhibits  the  figures  of  covered  pots, 
with  two  handles,  which  are  faid  to  be  pots 
of  "  bees  honie."t  Of  thefe  pots,  two  hun- 
dred are  depifted  in  one  tribute-roll,  and  one 
hundred  in  feveral  others. 

This  account  is  confirmed  by  a  late  hiftory 

of  Mexico,  written  by  the  Abbe  Clavigero,  a 

native  of  Vera  Cruz,  who  from  a  refidence  of 

thirty 
*  See  his  Life,  chap.  xxx. 

+  Purchas,  vol.  IV. 


ir9 

thirty-fix  years  in  Mexico,  and  a  minute  in- 
quiry into  the  natural  hiftory  and  antiquities 
of  his  country  mult  be  fuppofed  to  he  well 
informed,  and  competent  to  give  a  juft  ac- 
count. He  tells  us,  that  a  part  of  every  uie- 
ful  production  of  nature  or  art  was  paid  in 
tribute  to  the  Kings  of  Mexico  ;  and  among 
other  articles  of  revenue  he  reckons  "  600 
cups  of  honey"  paid  annually  by  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  fouthern  parts  of  the  empire.* 
He  alfo  fays,  "  that  though  they  extraftcd  a 
great  quantity  of  wax  from  the  honey  comb  ; 
they  either  did  not  know  how,  or  were  not  at 
the  pains  to  make  lights  of  it." 

In  his  enumeration  of  the  infers  of  Mex- 
ico, he  reckons  fix  diflFerent  kinds  of  bees 
which  make  honey,t  four  of  which  have 
no  ftings,  and  of  the  other  two  which  have 
ftings,  one  "  agrees  with  the  common  bee  of 
Europe,  not  only  in  fize,  fhape  and  colour  ; 
but  alfo  in  its  difpofition  and  manners,  and 
in  the  qualities  of  its  honey  and  wax." 

In  the  account  given  by  Purchas,  of  the 
travels  of  Ferdinando  de  Soto,  in  Florida,  it 
is  obferved,  that  when  he  came  to  Chiaha, 

which 

*  Book  VII,  p.  351,  4to  edit, 

+  Book  I,  p.  68. 


120 

which  by  the  defcription  was  on  one  of  the 
upper  branches  of  the  Mobille,  [now  in  the 
Hate  of  Georgia]  he  found  among  the  provi- 
£ons  of  the  natives  *'  a  pot  full  of  honie  of 
hecs."*  This  was  A.  D.  1540,  when  there 
were  no  Europeans  fettled  on  the  continent 
of  America,  but  in  Mexico  and  Peru. 

From  thefe  authorities  it  is  evident  that 
honey  bees  were  known  in  Mexico  and  the 
iflands,  before  the  arrival  of  the  Europeans  ; 
and  that  they  had  extended  as  far  northward 
as  Florida,  a  country   fo  denominated  from 
the  numberlefs  flowers,  which  grow  there  in 
wild  luxuriance  and  afford  a  plenty  of  food, 
for  this  ufeful  tribe  of  infedls.     The  inference 
is,  that  bees  were  not  imported  by  the  Span- 
iards ;  for  however  fond  they  might   be   of 
honey  as  an  article  of  food,  or  of  wax  to  make 
tapers  for  common  ufc,  or  for  the  illumina- 
tion of  their  churches  ;   yet   as   bees  were 
known  to  be  in  the  country,  there  could  be 
no  need  of  importing  them.     The  report  of 
honey  and  wax  being  found  in  the  iflands,  in, 
Mexico,  and  in  Florida,  had  reached  Europe 
and  had  been  pubiiflied  there  long  before  any 

emigrations  were  made  to  the  northward  ;  if 

therefore 
*  Purchas,  vol.  V.  p,  1539. 


It  I. 

therefore  if  thefe  had  becnconfidered  as  articles 
of  fubfiftence  or  of  commerce  ;  the  fanguine 
fpirit  of  thejirjl  adventurers  would  have  rath- 
er led  them  to  think  oi  finding  them  in  Amer- 
ica, than  of  tranfporting  bees  from  Europe  to 
make  them. 

As  to  the  circumftance  of  the  bees  "  ex- 
tending themfelves  a  little  in  advance  of  the 
white  fettlers,"  it  cannot  be  confidered  as  a 
conclufive  argument  in  favour  of  their  having 
been  firft  brought  from  Europe.  It  is  well 
known,  that  where  land  is  cultivated,  bees 
find  a  greater  plenty  of  food  than  in  the  foreft. 
The  bloffoms  of  fruit  trees,  of  graffes  and 
grain,  particularly  clover  and  buck  wheat,  af- 
ford them  a  rich  and  plentiful  repaft ;  and 
they  are  feen  in  vaft  numbers  in  our  fields  and 
orchards  at  the  feafon  of  thofe  bloffoms.  Thev 
therefore  delight  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
*'  the  white  fettlers,"  and  are  able  to  increafe 
in  numbers,  as  well  as  to  augment  their  quan- 
tity of  ftores,  by  availing  themfelves  of  the 
labour  of  man.  Mav  it  not  be  from  this  cir- 
cumftance  that  the  Indians  have  given  them 
the  name  of  "  the  white  man's  flv  ;"  and  that 
they  '=  confider  their  approach  (or  frequent: 
Q  appearance) 


122 

appearance)  as  indicating  the  approach  of  the 
fettlement  of  the  whites  ?" 

The  lirll  European  fettlement  in  Virginia 
was  made  about  feventy  years  after  the  expe- 
dition of  Soto,  in  Florida,  and  the  firft;  fettle- 
ment in  New  England  was  ten  years  pofterior 
to  that  in  Virginia.  The  large  intermediate 
country  was  uncultivated  for  a  long  time  af- 
terward. The  iouthern  bees  therefore  could 
have  no  inducement,  to  extend  themfelves 
very  far  to  the  northward,  for  many  years  af- 
ter the  fettlements  were  begun;  and  within 
that  time  bees  were  imported  from  Europe. 

That  honey  and  wax  were  not  known  to 
the  Indians  of  New  England  is  evident  from 
this,  that  they  had  no  words  in  their  language 
for  them.  When  Mr.  Eliot  tranflated  the 
bible  into  the  Indian  language,  wherever 
thefe  terms  occurred,  he  ufed  the  Englifh 
words,  though  fometimes  with  an  Indian 
termination. 

,  Joffelyn,  who  vifited  New  England  firft  in 
3638,  and  afterward  in  1663,  and  wrote  an 
account  of  his  voyages  with  fome  Iketches  of 
natural  hiilory  in  1673,  fpeaks  of  the  honey 
bee  in  thefe  words,  *'  The  honey  bees  are 

carried 


323 

carried  over  hy  the  Englifh,  and  thiive  there 
exceedingly."* 

There  is  a  tradition  in  New  England,  that 
the  perfon  who  firfl  brought  a  hive  of  bees 
into  the  country  was  rewarded  with  a  grant 
of  land  ;  but  the  perfon's  name,  or  the  place 
where  the  land  lay,  or  by  whom  the  grant 
was  made,  I  have  not  been  able  to  learn. 

It  appears  then,  that  the  honey  bee  is  a  na* 
tiveof  America,  and  that  its  produ6lions  were 
found  by  the  firfl  European  vifitors  as  far 
northward  as  Florida  and  Georgia.  It  is  al- 
fo  true  that  bees  were  imported  from  Europe 
into  New  England,  and  probably  into  Virgi- 
nia ;  but  whether,  if  this  importation  had  not 
taken  place,  the  bees  of  the  fouthern  parts 
would  not  have  extended  themfelves  norther- 
ly, or  whether  thofc  which  we  now  have  are 
not  a  rnixture  of  native  and  imported  bees, 
cannot  be  determined.  It  is  however  certain 
that  they  have  multiplied  exceedingly,  and 
that  they  are  frequently  found  in  New  Eng- 
land, in  a  wild  ftate,  in  the  trunks  of  hollow 
trees,  as  far  northward  as  cultivation  and  fet- 
tlements  have  extended,  which  is  nearly  to 
the  forty-fifth  degree  of  latitude. 

I  have 

*  Voyage  to  New  England,  p,  120. 


124 

I  have  made  inquiry  of  feveral  perfons  from 
Canada  ;  but  have  not  learned  that  bees  were 
known  during  their  refidence  in  that  country. 
It  is  however  not  improbable  that  as  culti- 
vation extends,  the  bees  may  find  their  way 
to  the  northward  of  the  lakes  and  river  of  Ca- 
nada, even  though  none  fhould  be  tranfport- 
^d  thither  by  the  inhabitants. 


»«5 


DISSERTATION   IV. 

ON  THE  COLOUR  OF  THE  NATIVE  AMERI- 
CANS, AND  THE  RECENT  POPULATION 
OF  THIS  CONTINENT. 


I 


.T  has  been  queried,  "  if  the  black- 
nefs  of  the  Africans  and  the  Eaft  Indians  with, 
in  the  torrid  zone,  be  the  effeft  of  climate  ; 
why  are  not  the  original  natives  of  America, 
within  the  fame  latitudes  equally  black  ?"* 

That  the  blacknefs  mentioned  is  the  efFe£l; 
of  climate  is  generally  admitted  by  philofophi- 
cal  writers.  Their  meaning  is,  that  the  ex- 
ceflive  heat  of  the  climate,  in  a  long  feries  of 
time,  produces  this  effefl-.  The  heat  of  a 
country  depends  not  only  on  its  proximity  to 
the  equator  ;  but  on  its  particular  and  rela- 
tive fituation.  A  plain  is  hotter  than  a  moun- 
tain, a  continent  is  hotter  than  an  ifland,  and 
one  fide  of  a  continent  is  hotter  than  the  other. 
Though  almoil  all  the  countries  and  iflands 
of  Afia  and  Africa,  between  the  tropics,  have 
black  inhabitants  ;  yet  there  is  a  diverlity  in 

the 

*  American  Mufeum,  1790 — p.  78. 


<«6 

the  fhades  of  their  fable  hus,  as  well  as  in  the 
form  of  their  hair.  The  crifped  woolly  head- 
ed inhabitants  of  the  weftern  coafl  of  Africa, 
are  faid  to  be  the  blackeft  of  mankind,  becaufe 
that  country,  from  its  peculiar  lituation,  re- 
ceives and  retains  a  greater  degree  of  heat 
than  any  other  part  of  the  globe  ;  the  eafterly 
winds  which  pafs  over  that  continent  being 
extremely  heated  in  their  pallage.  The  fame 
"wind  (which  at  fea  is  called  the  trade  wind)  is 
cooled  in  pafilng  over  the  Atlantic.  The 
eaftern  parts  of  South  America  are  much 
cooler  than  the  cppofite  coaft  of  Africa,  in  the 
fame  latitude  ;  and  the  natives  of  Guiana  and 
]Prafil  are  of  a  brown  colour.  Between  Bra- 
fil  and  Peru  are  fituate  thofe  lofty  mountains, 
the  Andes  ;  which  again  arrefl  and  cool  the 
eafterly  wind,  before  it  reaches  the  weftern 
coaft  of  Amei  lea  ;  and,  the  inhabitants  of 
Peru  are  of  a  lighter  colour  than  thofc  of  Bra- 
fiL  Mexico  is  in  the  fame  latitude  with  Se- 
negal -and  Gambia  ;  the  inhabitants  of  the 
two  latter  countries  are  black,  whilft  thofe  of 
tlie  former  arc  of  an  olive  complexion,  which 
is  fuppofed  to  have  been  the  original  colour 
of  the  human  fpecics. 

This 


This  account  is  conformable  to  that  given 
by  the  celebrated  naturalift,  Buffon  ;  but  he 
has  alfo  formed  an  opinion,  which,  if  it  were 
admitted,  might  folve  the  queftion  in  another 
way.  He  conje6lures  that  America  is  '*  of  a 
much  more  recent  exiftence"  than  the  old  con- 
tinent ;  that  it  mufl  have  remained  buried 
under  the  waters  of  the  fea  much  longer  ;  and 
has  but  lately  emerged  from  the  waves.  In 
illuflration  of  this  conjeflure  he  aflcs,  "  if  this 
continent  be  really  as  ancient  as  the  other, 
why  did  fo  few  men  exifl  on  it  ?  Why  were 
thofe  few  favage  and  difperfed  ?  Why  did 
the  inhabitants  of  Mexico  and  Peru,  (the  only 
ones  which  had  the  fmallefl;  degree  of  fociety) 
reckon  only  two  or  three  hundred  years  from 
the  time  that  they  were  firft  affemblcd  to- 
gether ?"  He  might  have  gone  on  with  his 
queries  thus — Why  are  not  the  inhabitants  of 
the  torrid  zone  in  America,  of  as  dark  a  com- 
plexion as  thofe  of  the  Afian  iflands,  and  the 
eaftern  fide  of  the  African  continent  ?  For  it 
is  well  known,  that  length  of  time  as  well  as 
Jicat  of  climate,  is  neceflary  to  produce  any 
great  and  permanent  change  in  the  human 
colour. 

This 


128 

This  conjefture  of  the  late  emerfion  of  the 
American  continent  from  the  waters  of  the 
ocean,  advanced  by  BufFon,  De  Paw,  and 
other  European  theorifts,  appears  to  me  at- 
tended with  an  infuperable  difficulty.  For 
whilft  buried  in  the  water  ic  mull  either  have 
been  funk  below,  or  the  water  muft  have  been 
raifed  above  the  prefent  level  of  the  continent- 
On  the  former  fuppolition,  there  muft  have 
been  fome  mighty  convulfion  of  nature,  and 
of  very  long  continuance  ;  to  raife  fo  im- 
menfe  a  bulk  from  the  bottom  of  the  ocean 
to  its  prefent  elevation  ;  and  the  water  which 
covered  it  muft  have  been  fo  driven  back  on 
all  fides,  as  to  have  made  great  encroachments 
on  the  fhores  of  the  other  continent  and  iflands 
of  the  globe.  Or,  on  the  latter  fuppofition, 
that  the  water  was  raifed  above  the  prefent: 
level  of  America,  it  would  have  been  impof- 
fible,  for  that  element  to  preferve  its  equilib- 
rium, according  to  the  laws  of  hydroftatics, 
without  at  the  fame  time  overwhelming  the 
ancient  continent.  This  difficulty  renders 
the  conjecture  inadmiffible,  without  fome  hif- 
torical  proof  of  the  exiftence  of  thefe  effefts. 

liUt, 


129 

But,  though  the  antiquity  of  America  be  al- 
lowed equal  to  the  reft  of  the  world,  yet  it  is 
poffible  that  its  population  may  be  more  recent. 
It  is  very  certain  that  the  annals  of  Mexico  and 
Peru  extended  back  but  a  few  centuries  pre- 
vious to  the  Spanilh  invafion.     If  we  are  to 
believe  them,   Manco   Capac,  the  founder  of 
the   Peruvian  monarchy,  was  contemporary 
with  Henry  II.  of  England,   in  the  twelfth 
century  ;  and  the  Mexican  empire  was  eftab- 
liftied  in  the  fourteenth.     The  moft  elaborate 
invefligation  of  the  late  hiftorian  Clavigero, 
carries  the  Jirjl  population  of  Mexico  by  the 
Toltecas,  no  further  back   than   the  feventh 
century  of  the  Chriftian  ^ra.     Beyond  that, 
they  had  no  tradition,  excepting  that  their 
anceftors  came  from  the  north  weft. 

If  any  analogy  can  be  drawn  from  the  prog- 
refs  which  the  ancient  Affyrians  and  Egyp- 
tians made  from  a  rude  to  a  civilized  ftate  ; 
that  is,  to  the  (ame  degree  of  improvement 
which  the  Mexicans  and  Peruvians  had  at- 
tained ;  there  could  not  have  intervened  more 
than  four  or  five  centuries,  from  their  firft  ar- 
rival in  America,  to  the  appearance  of  Man- 
co. This  calculation  will  brmg  the  time  of 
R  the 


130 

the  population  of  America,  five  or  fix  centu- 
ries within  the  Chriftian  ^Era. 

Since  modern  voyagers  have  difcovered 
the  Pacific  Ocean  to  be  full  of  iflands,  and 
thofe  iflands  full  of  people,  many  of  whom 
are  well  fkilled  in  navigation,  the  population 
of  the  weftern  parts  of  America,  from  the  eaft- 
ern  fhorcs  and  iflands  of  Afia  is  rendered 
more  credible  than  ever  ;  and  if  the  Mexi- 
cans and  Peruvians  came  originally  from  the 
north  of  China  or  Corea,  they  might  proba- 
bly bring  fome  degree  of  refinement  with 
them,  beyond  what  thofe  had  who  found 
their  way  hither  from  the  more  northern  de- 
farts  of  Tartary.  If  this  could  be  afcertained, 
it  would  greatly  ftrengthen  the  argument  for 
the  recent  population  of  America,  and  help 
us  to  account  for  the  diflFerence  between  the 
inhabitants  of  thofe  celebrated  empires,  and 
the  wild  wanderers  in  the  northern  regions  of 
this  vaft  continent  ;  which  is  very  analagous 
to  the  difference  between  the  people  of  China, 
and  the  roving  Tartars  in  the  northern  forefls 
of  Afia. 

In  fuch  an  inquiry,  where  fo  little  light 
can  be  derived  from  hiftory  or  tradition,  the 

mind 


mind  is  apt  to  reft,  perhaps  too  much  on  cir- 
cumftantial  proofs  which  feem  to  favour  an 
hypotheCs.  Let  this  be  my  apology,  if  any 
be  neceffary,  for  introducing  the  following 
quotation  from  the  learned  Dr.  Forfter. 

"From  the  year  1259  to  1294  of  the  Chrif- 
tian   ^ra,   reigned  Kublai-Khan,  [Sove- 
reign of  Tartary,  whofe  refidence  was  in  Ka- 
thay,  the  northern  part  of  China,  and  whofe 
capital  was  a  part  of  the  prefent  city  of  Pe- 
king.J     He  fent  a  fleet  and  army  to  Niphon, 
or  Japan  for  the  purpofe  of  conquering  that 
country.     The  fhips  compofing  his  fleet  were 
very  much  fliattered  by  ftorms,  and  it  is  prob- 
able that  fome  of  them  were  not  able  to  get 
back  to  Japan  or  China.     About  this  period 
there  fprung  up  in  America  almoll  at  one  and 
the  fame  time,  two  great  empires,  Mexico  and 
Peru,  which  had  regular  inftitutes  of  religion ; 
notions  of  rank  and  fubordinations,   were  in 
fome  meafure  civilized ;  were  connedled  with 
each  other  by  various  kinds  of  aflbciation ; 
praftifed  agriculture ;   and  in  the  matrimo- 
nial ftate  did  not  allow  polygamy.      In  Mex- 
ico, they  had   even   a  kind   of  hieroglyphic 
writing,   together  with  many  other  marks  of 

cultivation; 


?3* 

cultivation  ;  nofwithftandlng  that  Both  thefe 
empires  are  furrounded  on  all  fides  by  favage 
and  rude  nations,  very  inconfiderable  in  point 
of  extent;  and  are  bcfides  at  a  diftance  from 
each  other.  All  this  favours  the  fuppofition, 
that  thefe  two  colonies  came  thither  by  fea, 
in  the  twelfth  and  thirteenth  centuries  ;  per- 
liaps  they  are  fome  of  the  people  who  were 
loft  in  the  expedition  to  Japan,  their  ftiips 
having  been  driven  by  the  ftorm  to  Amer- 
ica."* 

*  Forfter's  Hillory  of  Voyages  and  Difcoverie?, 
chap.  I.  p.  43. 


c??s-o 


ADVERTISEMENT. 


There  is  now  preparing  for  the  Prefs, 

A    WORK,    ENTITLED 

AMERICAN    BIOGRAPHY; 

O  R, 

An  Hijlorical  Account  of  thofe  perfons  who  have 
been  dijlingui/hed  in  America,  ai 


Adventurers, 

Statesmen, 

Philosophers, 


Divines, 

Warriors, 

Authors, 


And  other  remarkable  Charaders. 

Comprehending  a  Recital  of  the  Events  connefled 
with  their  Lives  and  Aftions. 

jflr  THIS  work  is  begun,  and  will  be  prof- 
ecuted  with  as  much  expedition  as  the  difficulty  of  col- 
lefting  materials  will  permit.  As  foon  as  matter  fuffi- 
cient  tor  one  volume  is  put  into  order  it  will  be  pub- 
lifhed  ;  but  it  cannot  be  determined,  at  prefent,  in  how 
many  volumes  the  work  will  be  compriled.  It  is  hoped 
that  the  firil  will  be  finilhed  within  one  year  from  this 
date;  the  others  will  tollow  as  foon  afterward  z%  pofli- 
ble. 

Gentlemen  of  curiofity  and  intelligence  in  every  part 
of  the  American  continent,  and  iflands,  are  refpettfully 
lolicited,  to  favour  the  Editor,  with  fuch  communica- 
tions, as  the  nature  of  the  work  requires  ;  which  will 
be  gratefully  accepted  and  acknowledged  by  their  moft 
humble  fervant, 

JEREMY   BELKNAP. 

Bojion,  Nov.  10,  1792, 


PUB  LIS  HE  D,  by  the  fame  Author, 

[According  to  Ad  of  Congre/s.'] 
THE 

•      HISTORY 

OF  NEW-HAMPSHIRE, 
IN  THREE  VOLUMES,  8vo. 

Vol.  I.  Comprehending  the  Events  of  one  complete 
Century,  from  the  Difcovery  ot  the  River 
>  Pafcataqua  in  1614. 

Vol.  II.  Comprehending  the  Events  of  feventy-five 
years,  trom  1715  to  1790,  illuftrated  by  a 
Map  of  the  State. 

Vol.  III.  Containing  a  Geographical  Defcription  of 
the  State,  with  (ketches  of  its  natural  Hiftory, 
Produftions,  Improvements,  and  prefent  ftate 
oi  Society  and  Manners,  Laws  and  Govern- 
ment. 

Sold  in  Bo^on  by  James  White  ;  in  Philadelphia 
by  Thomas  DoBSON  ;  and  in  London  by  Cuakles 

DiLLY. 


^ 


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